A Vault of Unexplored Ideas
by zaterra02
Summary: This is not a story, only a repository of several ideas jumping around in my mind. Feel free to be inspired or adopt, should you want to. Nothing is abandoned, only very delayed, because of reasons. Please, enjoy and feel free to comment. Pairings, mostly Haphne.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer

I own nothing of the Harry Potter franchise.

Glad to clear that up

/

 **The pairings in this story are Harry/Daphne . In this fic, Harry and Daphne are three years older.**

 **I had problems updating this, so please, if I missed a mistake, please let me know**

Seventeen year old Harry Greengrass stood in the dark, sat in a bench inside of the champion's tent, thinking on everything that had happened on that Merlin forsaken year. The year that should be his last in Hogwarts School.

Everything began to go to hell in the previous summer, when he was still a Potter, when he started to have nightmares with no other than the supposed defeated dark lord Voldemort. He hadn't needed to be a Ravenclaw to realize that there was a mental link of some sort between them and used all his power and magic in occlumency, in order to defend himself from a mental assault by the dark lord. Then, there was the death eater attack in the world cup. He hadn't seen anything because he was with the Greengrasses, celebrating. He had only seen the dark mark in the air and he knew somehow that it hadn't been only a random attack.

So, Harry had decided to hit the books with renewed fervour, learning, practicing and increasing his power in every way he could, just for another chance, even if it was small, to survive what was coming.

When he returned to Hogwarts, he discovered that there would be no Quidditch. Unlike the rest of the Ravenclaw team, he didn't mind, already planning to optimize his time. Daphne Greengrass, his by then girlfriend had been overjoyed, since that meant that at least for an year there would be no stupid life threatening acrobatics from him. Only, the TriWizard Tournament had been announced as well and Harry Potter's name had been selected on Halloween as Hogwarts' champion.

Harry had a standing ovation from almost all the school. His house, Ravenclaw cheered him standing, as did Hufflepuff. From Slytherin, nearly half of the house, led by his girlfriend, cheered for him and from Gryffindor, also half. His brother Daniel Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived clapped for him but everyone who knew him could see that the younger boy was jealous of his older brother. There was only one problem, though. Harry Potter had never placed his name in the goblet of fire for selection.

Not saying anyone that, Harry Potter did the one thing that he was used to do: he lied about it in a way that he could bend the situation in his favour, calculating his moves slowly. In the interview with the champions, Harry gave short and mostly empty answers, much to the annoyance of Rita Skeeter. He was the The-Boy-Who-Lived discrete and older brother, the one Potter barely known by the masses and he made sure Rita Skeeter left with a interview that translated just that.

Then the problems began with the first task. Harry had to take a fake dragon egg from the dragon and his dragon was a Hungarian Horntail, one of the most dangerous breeds alive. Not wanting to actually harm the dragon, Harry chained the dragon to the earth with a elemental chains spell, which no one recognized. The dragon was subdued and Harry took the egg without any effort, leaving a speechless crowd behind.

The spell was both powerful and unknown and while several were cheering, others were starting to wonder if it had been a dark spell and if so, how dark was Harry Potter?

Albus Dumbledore actually wondered about that and shared his concerns with James and Lilly Potter. He was appalled with happened then.

James and Lilly Potter never gave Harry Potter a chance to explain himself. They disowned Harry publicly in the great hall of Hogwarts and gave order to aurors to arrest their former son for using dark, unknown and dangerous spells.

Disbelief was total and Harry NoName, formally Potter was arrested and taken to the DMLE, where he was left to rot and starve for three days before his first interrogation by the top aurors. Luckily, when the time came, Harry had at his side Jonathan Greengrass, his self appointed solicitor and his girlfriend father, who cared a great deal for the boy.

Harry was taken before the whole Wizengamot, something never seen before in such cases. As it came to be known, all members were interested in learning more about the spell and had forced the issue by bringing Harry NoName before the whole body. Harry requested the use of veritasserum in the interview, which only lasted ten minutes, for the regret of everyone, with only one official question been made, about the nature of the spell:

 _The spell used was a earth elemental chains spell, described in the Potter family Grimoire, page three hundred and sixty-two, added to the grimoire in the eleventh century, by Aelfric Potter. I find it insulting that the lord and the lady of an ancient family aren't able to recognize their own family spells and accuse their own family members of dark magic for using them._

It was a complete embarrassment for the Potter family and James Potter attempted to ask where the grimoire was, only to receive shocked looks from all the members of the body and a flat response from his former son: _In the library._

Harry was released that same day, with apologies from the DMLE director for their treatment towards him and the ministry himself. Jonathan Greengrass couldn't hold his own anger towards the Potters and while he felt he should start a campaign against them, he decided that he had more important matters to resolve.

While Harry was received with neutrality in Hogwarts, Jonathan Greengrass explained everything that had transpired with Harry to his eldest daughter. Daphne heard her father's plan only to the point in which he spoke in marriage between the both of them, throwing herself in her father's arms, thanking him.

There was no doubt in Jonathan Greengrass' mind that both teens would eventually marry, he simply added extra motivation. By marriage, Harry NoName would become Harry Greengrass and as Daphne was the heiress, both of them would become Lord and Lady Greengrass in the future, a nice way of rubbing it in the face of the Potters.

After a long chat with Daphne and another with Jonathan, Harry accepted but only after making sure it was what Daphne truly wanted and not because of the plan. They decided to marry in the end of the school year but in the meantime, Jonathan adopted Harry into the Greengrass family, to both spite the Potters and to give him extra protection, which proved to be needed by the time of the Yule, when the Potters attempted to undo the disownment and force Harry back into the Potter family. Unfortunately for them, Harry had achieved majority and the Potters could do nothing, except bore his former eldest son. Apart that, the Yule ball was a success to the couple, who danced through the night only with each other, rising jealous thoughts from some of the other attendants.

When the second task came, Harry knew very well what the task was and much to his surprise, he came to discover that his betrothed was not his hostage, thanks to Dumbledore and the Potter's interference. Harry Potter failed his task, not because he couldn't do it but because he refused to enter the water to rescue his former brother. The separation became even clearer for the nation and while many saw a teenager throwing a tantrum and accusing him of being dark for leaving The-Boy-Who-Lived under the lake, others cheered for him and supported him in his decisions.

Harry became a pariah for some hours in Ravenclaw, though. By failing his task, the whole house students lost their bets on their champion. He was forgiven on the same day.

Then the week of the third task finally came.

Luna Lovegood, known as Little Moon by Harry, came to him one evening, clearly in some sort of trance. The words that came out of her mouth confused Harry and his friends more than he had ever been in his seventeen years:

 _At the end of the third, the snake's fang will bring down the dragon._

No one made sense of her words and Luna was sent to the hospital wing. She didn't recall the episode and Harry made sure no one knew about it. Luna already had a weird reputation.

Harry didn't think about it again, focusing solely on the task ahead, which brought him to the tent where he was at the moment, thinking in all that had passed. Something didn't add up. He knew someone had put his name in the cup and he knew that Voldemort was alive. However, Voldemort wouldn't be idiot to the point of put his name in the cup, would he? What could he possibly achieve with such a crazy plan? Yet, it definitively seemed so. That was what Harry kept thinking, always finding no answer.

"Hey" Harry heard a female voice say, recognizing the voice of his betrothed. Harry rose his head and saw his blonde angel approaching him with a huge smile on her lips.

"Hey. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the stands?"

"I wanted to see you one last time before the task." she replied, forcing him to sit straight and sitting on his lap, facing him "To wish you good luck."

"Oh?" he asked with a smile, feeling her lips touching his, their tongues slowly touching and dancing in their mouths.

"Are you ready?" asked Daphne after some moments, breaking the kiss.

"As I'll ever be." replied Harry, ignoring his concerns.

"Win this bloody tournament and I'll give you your prize later tonight." she whispered lustily on his ear. She didn't even hide her smirk as she felt the effect of her words under her.

"I can't wait." he replied huskily and Daphne smiled, grabbing him by the hair and kissing him passionately.

"If you don't win, there'll be no prize." she warned playfully.

"Thanks for the confidence." he replied with a snort, making her giggle.

"Come on, it's almost time and I'm afraid that if I stay here with you in the dark, we'll both be late." said Daphne, trying to rise from her seat, only to be pulled back to Harry.

"They can wait a little longer." Harry whispered, kissing Daphne passionately, making her sigh.

"I love you, Harry." she whispered.

"I love you too, Daphne." he whispered back, making her smile.

"Come on, enough for now." she replied, getting up and forcing him to stand as well, checking his champion robes, black with trims in all of the four houses of Hogwarts. Finding it to her liking, Daphne held Harry's arm and the two exited the champion's tent, finding both champions and their headmasters nearby.

"It's Harry!" someone in the stand shouted, rising a huge cheer from the Hogwarts students.

"You better win this time!" someone else shouted, making a lot of people laugh, remembering the fiasco of the second task.

"Ah, young Harry, ready for the task?" an old grandfatherly voice asked.

"Depends, headmaster. Have you sabotaged my task again or is everything as it should be?" asked Harry, making Dumbledore sigh in defeat.

"I haven't interfered this time Mr. Greengrass, if that is what you mean. " the headmaster replied in a defeated and tired tone.

"Then I am ready." replied Harry "Enjoy the show, headmaster."

Daphne got the feeling that Dumbledore wanted to say something else but decided against it at the last possible time.

"I do hope so and if I can impose on you, despite all, do try to bring a victory to Hogwarts, will you?" the older man replied as a farewell.

"I'll go to the stands. Mother, father and Astoria are already there." said Daphne, letting go of his arm.

"One last kiss for good luck?" asked Harry and Daphne obliged. None of them cared about the cat calls.

"Win." she whispered and he nodded, staying alone in the grounds. Harry looked around, seeing large flags with the Durmstrang wolf, the swan of Beauxbatons and the crest of Hogwarts made with the four house animals.

"Did you find anything interesting, Mr. Greengrass?" asked professor Flitwick, approaching Harry.

"Not at all, professor, I was just wondering what Hogwarts crest would be if it wasn't the four house animals..."

"Well, when I was a student, we had a joke about it." admitted Flitwick "Luckily we were lions, badgers, eagles and snakes because if we were all sleeping dragons, no magic would be learnt." joked the charms professor and both ravenclaws laughed "Are you ready?"

"As I will ever be." replied Harry "Everyone is asking me that today."

"Only because we care, Harry." the professor replied "I would just like to let you know that despite your second task and the sabotage you were target, we of Ravenclaw are very proud of Hogwarts champion."

"Well, if someone hadn't interfered I could be on the lead. " Harry replied, shrugging afterwards "But thank you, professor. It means a lot to me to know that."

"You know, you have always been a quiet boy, with friends in all the houses and a model student. There is no one else that I would like to see representing Hogwarts." said Flitwick and Harry nodded.

"All right, it's time to start the third task!" the voice of Ludo Bagman shouted, being followed by a loud cheer. Harry tuned out the noise, already knowing that he would enter the maze last, thanks to his results in the second task.

Harry just conjured a chair and sat while he was waiting, seeing the task being shown in a large canvas, depicting the champions progress. A monitoring charm, no doubt. He wondered where the charm had been cast but quickly tuned to other things. First Krum went in, followed by Delacour. After several minutes, it was Harry's time.

"Just to make it clear, I have to enter the maze and then, all I have to do is reach the cup, correct? No matter how?" Harry asked to the judges, receiving confused nods. With a grin, Harry entered the maze calmly, conjuring wooden stairs and using them to climb the walls of the maze.

At first, the audience cheered when it was Harry's turn. Then laughed, when they realized what he intended to do, bending the rules to his profit and finally, they cheered again, seeing Harry conjuring wooden planks to bridge between the walls and running over the maze, to its center.

"AH, that was brilliant." claimed Jonathan Greengrass laughing, noticing the mirth on his elder daughter's face.

"No matter what they say, Harry was right, the rules say that he had to enter the maze and then reach the cup." replied his wife, lady Audrey Greengrass "Never specified how."

"My Harry may be a Ravenclaw, but he has the mindset of a Slytherin." replied Daphne, seeing Harry jump down the walls of the maze at its center, disappearing from view but still on projection on the monitoring charm. There, he found an acromantula. A quick spell later and the acromantula was unconscious, levitated and thrown way over the edge. As everyone cheered, chanting his name, Harry sheeted his wand, approaching the TriWizard's cup.

"Hogwarts win, I guess." he said, his words received with extra cheers from his fellow students, attendance and even ministry officials. Harry grabbed the cup's handle and immediately, he felt the familiar tug at his navel, seeing the world turning. In Hogwarts, everyone cheered as the maze disappeared, taking away all creatures by portkey back to their pens. Nothing was left but two very confused champions. From Harry there was no sight.

"Where's Harry?" asked Daphne, not seeing him.

"Look, on the canvas!" said Audrey, seeing her "son" appearing in a dark setting with the cup on his hand.

"Where is he?" demanded Jonathan, turning to the jury "What is the meaning of this?"

He received no reply because none of them knew anything.

"Harry!" shouted Daphne in shock, seeing a red curse being thrown against him. For her surprise, Harry defended himself with the cup, throwing the red curse away from him, giving him enough time to draw his wand. Then, another curse caught Harry from the back and Harry Potter was unconscious.

"Damn you, Wormtail, can't you do anything right?" asked a roughed voice that they all recognized as their DADA teacher for that year. Alastor Moody appeared next to Harry and picked up his wand, pocketing it "Shut up and make the preparations." he ordered, levitating Harry's body.

"Wormtail? The rat is there?" demanded James Potter, not having a reply.

"Why would Mad-Eye be working with a death eater?" wondered Sirius Black. Everyone else was in shock, seeing an unconscious Harry being levitated by their DADA teacher and being stuck to a large tombstone.

"What is happening?" demanded a scared Daphne "Father?"

"I don't know, Daphne." her father replied, which did nothing to calm her nor his wife.

"Is it done?" a sibilant voice asked and many of the elder people in the audience shut up in fear, recognizing the voice for what it was.

"It is, my lord." replied Moody "We successfully captured the boy."

"Good. Begin the ritual, then." the voice demanded again.

"Of course, my lord." Moody replied with a grin, ordering another cloaked figure with a wave, who started to gather items.

"It can't be... it just can't be!" whimpered the minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"He's dead." shouted another ministry official, a woman dressed in pink, standing with the minister.

"No, he was not." replied a sad Dumbledore, his hands, balling into fists facing his own impotence to do something.

"Headmaster, he have to do something!" shouted Sirius Black, only to be rebuked by Severus Snape.

"Do what, Black? We don't even know where they are."

"I bet you have something to do with this, Snivelus." shouted James Potter.

"Enough!" demanded the headmaster and everyone shut up "There is nothing we can do."

"But..." added Lilly Potter, only to be rebuked.

In the stands, the other parents and older people were also terrified. Some of the children noticed and demanded to know why.

"That voice... no, it can't be him." mumbled Jonathan.

"Whose voice, father? Who is him?" demanded Daphne, only to have her attention focusing on the canvas and a very gruesome ritual.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son." the second figure chanted, throwing a human bone into a large cauldron. In Hogwarts, no one made a sound "Flesh of the servant, w-willingly given..." the figure hesitated.

"Proceed, Wormtail." demanded Moody in a growl.

"Flesh of the servant, willingly given you will revive your master." the figure chanted and with a loud cry, he used a large dagger that looked suspiciously as a fang to cut his own left hand into the cauldron, screaming and whimpering in pain. In Hogwarts, everyone felt disgusted and many cried in horror "B-Blood of t-the e-e-enemy, f-f-forcibly t-taken, you will resurrect your foe." the figure chanted one last time, as he approached Harry.

"NO!" several people shouted at the same time. Against what they were expecting, the figure only made a small cut in Harry's arm, drawing blood, throwing it into the cauldron.

"Oh, thank Merlin." whispered Audrey Greengrass, her eyes tearful and her heart pumping.

Silence was total as everyone was witness of the dark ritual reaching its peak. Fire enveloped the cauldron, the potion inside bubbled and then, everything was consumed into a big flame that disappeared in moments, leaving only a blob that slowly started to become a more humanoid shape. For very silent seconds, no one made a sound, watching in fear and awe as the blob became a man.

"I AM WHOLE AGAIN!" the man shouted. He was naked, pale and had no nose, having instead two slits in his stead. His eyes were red and everyone could see that he emanated power, if the cowering figures of the one who made the ritual and Moody was any indication.

Every adult knew who he was at once and no one could believe it.

"Robe me!" the man demanded and Moody gave him a robe "My wand."

The handless figure extended him a wand, which the man caressed lovingly.

"My lord, please." the figure said, extending his cut arm "You promised."

"Silence, Wormtail." the man replied, glaring at the ridicule and whimpering figure grovelling under him, noticing Harry, still unconscious "Why is the boy still unconscious?"

None answered to him, not knowing what to say.

"Revive him." he ordered, clearly refraining himself to curse the two.

"What... What will he do to Harry?" asked Daphne and Jonathan and Audrey were very afraid.

"Renervate." Moody chanted and Harry woke immediately, looking around.

"Ah, Harry Potter, or should I say Harry Greengrass?" the man asked with a mocking tone "It is so nice to see you once again."

"Voldemort, you son of a bitch." growled Harry and everyone at Hogwarts who hadn't yet realized it, gasped in shock.

"V-Voldemort?" asked Daphne "Father, mother, what is happening?"

"I-I don't know, darling." replied Audrey, hugging her daughter.

"Ah, you recognize me." replied the dark lord with a chuckle "I feel honored."

"More like I recognize your voice." replied Harry defiantly "You look uglier than before."

"What?" many asked in fear and astonishment. The dark lord chuckled again.

"Defiant to the end, Potter." the dark lord replied, backhanding Harry in his face "You can't possibly imagine how long I have waited for this moment, to have you on my mercy once again."

Harry growled, attempting to unleash himself from the tombstone, realizing he was stuck and had no wand. In Hogwarts, no one was understanding what the dark lord meant or why was he so interested in Harry.

"But of course, business before pleasure, isn't it?" the dark lord said, turning his back on Harry and addressing his servants. Whole Hogwarts saw then that Moody was starting to change, clearly a sign of polyjuice.

"Give me your hand, Wormtail." the dark lord ordered. Everyone looked in fear and awe as the dark lord summoned his death eaters and actually named them and cursed them for their betrayal, telling them all of his pains and his power as the most powerful wizard alive, being able to cheat death and return to a corporeal form, acknowledging both Peter Pettigrew, to whom he gave a new silver hand as a reward for his sacrifice for his rebirth and Barty Crouch Jr., the polyjuiced Moody, the two that helped him with his plans.

In Hogwarts, Barty Crouch Sr. paled and many knew that he knew something about why his son, who should be dead, was alive.

"Your power is indeed great, my lord." said Crouch "But there is something I don't understand."

"Speak then, my servant." the dark lord replied, waving at him.

"Why this boy?" asked Crouch, pointing at Harry "Why did you tasked me with putting his name in the goblet and make sure he would be selected as Hogwarts' champion? Why did you required his blood for your rebirth, why do you seek your vengeance upon him, when it was his brother, The-Boy-Who-Lived, who survived your killing curse and caused you all the pain and suffering you told us about?"

Those were the only thoughts going on Hogwarts. Why?

"Put his name in the cup?" wondered Bagman, paling "Harry didn't put his name on the cup willingly?"

"He never said anything." replied Crouch.

In reply, the dark lord only laughed while Harry actually refrained from rolling his eyes over Voldemort's "plan".

"Tell me, Crouch, who anointed Daniel Potter as The-Boy-Who-Lived?" asked the dark lord.

"Dumbledore did, my lord. He claimed there was evidence that there had been a killing curse fired in the bedroom and that you had attack Godric's Hollow searching for the baby." Crouch replied "That the V shaped scar on his forehead was the mark of having survived your curse." Everyone knew that, Dumbledore had made an announcement days after the fall of the dark lord.

The dark lord just laughed for several moments.

"What a load of tripe." he replied, shocking both his death eaters and everyone at Hogwarts, most of whom turned from the canvas to Dumbledore, as if demanding answers.

"Albus, what does he mean?" demanded McGonagall and for once, Dumbledore didn't know what to say.

"What do you mean, my lord?" asked one of the death eaters, being ignored by the dark lord, who turned to Harry.

"How did it make you feel, Harry?" asked Voldemort in a whisper, still heard by all in the graveyard and in Hogwarts "How did it feel having your greatest deed torn from you by a meddling and foolish old man?"

"What? What does he mean?" demanded James Potter.

"H-Harry?" wondered Daphne, looking at the canvas, depicting Harry and Voldemort. Harry just sneered.

"Thankful." Harry replied, shocking everyone "With all attention diverted to the brat and being the unknown Potter, I was somewhat safe from your sycophants, at least until you reappeared."

No one actually understood what was happening, least of all the Potters in Hogwarts.

"That's such a Slytherin mindset, I am impressed." chuckled the dark lord with a huge grin.

"I had an excelent teacher." Harry replied defiantly "Besides, Slytherin was the hat's first choice for me." Everyone gasped in shock and surprise.

"I knew it, he's a slimy dark bastard!" shouted none other than Daniel Potter. Daphne gaped as did many others.

"Really?" asked the dark lord "Then why would you be in Ravenclaw?"

"What do you think would happen if I let the hat sort me into Slytherin? The brother of the fucking Boy-Who-Lived in the so called dark house? I would be crucified by everyone, especially by my so called family." Harry snapped with a sneer "So, for my own self preservation, I demanded the hat to put me in the second best house. I wasn't chivalrous enough to go to Gryffindor, even if I was brave and I wasn't loyal enough to anyone, even if hard-working. I didn't want knowledge for knowledge sake, I wanted it to survive and the hat was adamant that I should be a snake... but he yielded and made me Ravenclaw."

A lot of people gaped in Hogwarts and the dark lord just laughed. Daphne stood in disbelief, hearing that for the first time such story.

"I don't understand..." Crouch Jr. said "Does this means..."

"Yes?" encouraged the dark lord with a mocking laughter "Go on, Crouch, I am sure that you can find out the truth after this little banter."

"Daniel Potter isn't the The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry Potter is." replied Crouch in disbelief, the same disbelief that took hold of everyone in Hogwarts.

"WHAT?" shouted James Potter and Lilly Potter.

"NO, I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived !" shouted no other than Daniel Potter, ignored by all.

"Indeed, I never even pointed my wand at the baby." replied the dark lord, turning to Harry "Would you like to tell the tale? Or should I?"

"I'm guessing that your minions would like to hear it more from your own lips." sneered Harry "Besides, I hid it from even those I love, why would I tell your people?"

The dark lord just chuckled.

"It is true, my friends. The-Boy-Who-Lived is not Daniel Potter but Harry Potter." the dark lord told with a smile "I still remember as if it was just moments ago, how could I not?" he asked, thoughtful "I duelled James Potter and stunned him at the entrance. I thought it to be a waste of good pure blood, even if he opposed us. Then it was the mudblood girl. She begged me not to kill her baby. I grew tired of listening to her, so I stunned her so she would survive and feel the pain of losing the child she desperately begged for." told Voldemort, turning back to Harry "Imagine my surprise when a mere child came out of the shadows of the room, picked his mother's wand and actually cast a reducto curse against me."

"WHAT?" many voices asked at the same time, Lilly and James' Potter being some of the loudest. Daphne and the Greengrasses heard every word enthralled.

"A curse that actually hit me." the dark lord continued, glaring at Harry "And actually destroyed my knee."

"My heart bleeds for you, you bastard." mocked Harry, receiving a cruciatus in reply.

"Don't worry, BOY, I'll make sure to pay you back. An eye for an eye." the dark lord said as Harry screamed in pain.

"No, no, no, no, not Harry, please, not my Harry." begged Daphne in tears, hearing the screams of pain.

"Luckily I can endure pain and know several spells that could help my situation." the dark lord continued, stopping the cruciatus "I disarmed the boy and put him under the cruciatus for several moments and yet, even in pain, screaming and tears, I could see the anger and the hate in the boy's eyes. That was when I stuck him to the wall, near the crib of his brother and asked him his name." Voldemort told them with a smirk "Harry Potter, he said, glaring at me as only a four year old can. I actually found it cute." laughed the dark lord and Harry actually gagged "Obviously I wouldn't let him live so I cursed him with the killing curse in the chest. Imagine my surprise as not only the boy survived the curse but it was actually rebounded against me, consuming my body in green flames. Wormtail was there, he saw everything, took my wand and run away, instead of finishing the job, as any loyal servant should." the dark lord said, glaring at Pettigrew, which cowered in shame "And I lived for eleven years as a shapeless cloud of mist and vapor, in an eternal suffering. There were times in which I lost myself to madness, others that I regained myself and yet, I always remembered Harry Potter, the boy who caused my suffering." then, the dark lord laughed, making everyone at Hogwarts to shiver "Then, when I returned, thanks to Quirinus Quirrel four years ago, imagine my surprise when I discovered that Daniel Potter, not Harry, was the savior and the The-Boy-Who-Lived. Needless to say, I felt no need to correct Dumbledore and I monitored Harry, while possessing Quirrel."

"For a dark lord of an amazing power like you claim to be, you were an awful teacher." replied Harry and the dark lord glared.

"I taught you nothing, boy, all I did was observing you while Quirrel taught the class."

"You could have instructed him on doing better." replied a petulant Harry and much to everyone's surprise, the dark lord actually agreed with him.

"Yes, it was rather shameful, I'm surprised as no one complained to the board of governors." the dark lord replied, shrugging "My intention was to use the younger brat to get to Harry but after some leggilimancy on the younger Potter, all I got was contentment and despise for his older brother, not to mention a huge pampered ego."

Daniel Potter felt insulted but said nothing, sitting with his Gryffindor friends, who looked outraged enough for him.

"Then, when I made a move on the philosopher stone, I left clues to attract Daniel Potter, believing that his brother might still care enough to try and save him... I guess I was wrong. Not only I didn't get the stone, Harry Potter never appeared and I was vanquished by Dumbledore."

"Do you really think Dumbledore would be an idiot to bring the philosopher stone into a school full of children, attracting all sort of maniacs that could put us all in danger? I know he's an idiot but not even he would be stupid at that point." asked Harry defiantly and Dumbledore actually blushed, as did many teachers, noticing several pair of eyes looking at them.

"I told you it was a bad idea, Albus but you never listen, you always do as you think best." complained McGonagall in a whisper.

"Maybe, not that it matters, any more." replied the dark lord again "Something that I always had curiosity though, how did a four year old know how to cast a reducto curse?"

"The four year old was taught." replied Harry with a glare.

"By whom?" the dark lord asked and everyone wanted to know that. Harry just glared even more intensely at the dark lord.

"You." he replied in an angry whisper, filled with anger and hate.

"What?" wondered Daphne and many more, not understanding what Harry meant.

"Maybe you should explain, boy." replied the dark lord, he himself quite confused.

"Brandon and Aurora Potter." replied Harry, glaring at the dark lord.

"Aren't those...?!" wondered Daphne and her father nodded.

"James Potter's parents."

"What do they have to do with this, boy?" demanded the dark lord.

"I saw it, you son of a bitch, I SAW IT ALL!" Harry shouted in anger, shocking everyone in Hogwarts and even the death eaters "August the third, 1981. The night you attacked Potter Manor alone, I saw you duelling my grandfather. You fought him with silent spells until my grandmother joined him. The first curse you cast verbally was the killing curse, which killed my grandmother before she could rise from the floor after you cast a confringo against her... My grandfather went angry and replied with powerful spells that left you nervous... but somehow, you were lucky enough to make a shouted reducto pass through his defences, shattering his shoulder. Only after the cruciatus did you kill him and left, leaving the bodies to be found." the dark lord said nothing, only narrowing his eyes. "With the proper knowledge, a person in Potter Manor's safe room can see all that his happening in the manor."

"Really?" wondered James Potter, heard by several people, who looked at him appalled. First he had no idea where the Potter Grimmoire was, then he had no clue about his own manor... what kind of a lord was he?

"My grandmother left me there before joining my grandfather and I saw the both of them die at your hand." Harry told Voldemort, tears starting to fall "When I was finally allowed to leave the room by the elves, I went to their bodies and I cried, more than I had cried in the four years of my live, until I saw my grandfather's wand and felt the need to picked it up and try the spells I had heard. First the killing curse but I understood it as Abracadabra and nothing happened. The reducto made some sparks, though and I knew I had to practice it if I wanted to learn it. I kept my grandfather's wand with me and practiced every time I had a chance, which was pretty much all day, since only the elves cared enough about me from that day onward."

"What? What does he mean?" asked Daphne, turning to the Potters, who were near enough in shouting range "What does he mean with that? I thought you neglected him only after your precious fraud became famous." shouted Daphne in anger, heard by everyone and all who didn't know realized the same thing.

 _Neglect?_

Luckily, the dark lord felt the need to ask the same thing.

"Explain."

"What for?" replied Harry with a snort.

"Well, it seems that you're finally taking it out of your shoulders and I am curious." Voldemort replied with a mocking smile.

Harry sighed after some moments.

"I was never wanted by James and Lilly." whispered Harry and everyone in Hogwarts widened their eyes "They think I don't know but I know, oh, I know everything." Harry replied looking down with a snort "First of all, I'm a bastard." Once again, everyone widened even more their eyes in surprise. While it wasn't a bad thing for the muggleborns and some halfbloods, for the remaining ones and the purebloods it was still frowned upon.

"That foolish boy." whispered Jonathan in sadness.

"You don't seem surprised, father." said Daphne, noticing her parent's looks "Or you, mother."

"He told me, the circumstances of his birth, when I proposed the marriage between the two of you." replied Jonathan "He told me that no one knew, not even you and that he wanted to tell you but didn't know how. I guess he never did?"

"He did." replied a tearful Daphne.

"Your father told me, Daphne." Audrey replied "Does it make a difference to you? To know this about Harry?"

"Of course not." cried Daphne, looking back to the canvas and the man she loved. It was not like he had kept secrets from her... he had told her about the night when the dark lord attacked the Potters at Godric's Hollow and tortured him... he only left out the fact that he tried to kill him as well...

"James and Lilly got drunk in their sixth year and I happened. None of them wanted me but their parents forced them not to terminate the pregnancy, keeping it a secrecy throughout their sixth year. When I was born, I was dumped in Potter Manor and raised by my paternal grandparents." Harry chuckled "I was three when I discovered that the people I kept calling mummy and daddy were actually my grandparents. They never corrected me... With my real parents gallivanting around, pretending to actually do something in Dumbledore's Order of the Flaming Chicken against you..." the dark lord and the death eaters actually laughed while the members of the order felt insulted.

"That little shit." whispered James Potter in annoyance. For the first time in long years, Lilly Potter felt a pain in her chest.

"I think I met James and Lilly a couple of times before you killed my grandparents..." thought Harry.

In Hogwarts, almost everyone felt touched with Harry's history. Not even the radical pureblood families treated their children as the Potters had treated Harry. Light family, role model... bah. They didn't know, but several stories were already being written by reporters. and none portrayed the Potters favourably.

"Revenge, then? Was revenge the reason why you faced me that night? Why you wanted to curse me and stop me?" the dark lord asked, amused "You, a four year old child, did all that to avenge your grandparents and not to protect your brother?" Everyone in the graveyard laughed, including Harry, much to everyone's surprise.

"Well, I did stop you, didn't I?" asked Harry defiantly and with a mocking smirk, making the death eaters stop laughing and the dark lord sneer at him.

"He's insane." one of the students mumbled "Why would he challenge the dark lord?"

"HOW?" the dark lord shouted in Harry's face.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Harry shouted back with a smirk.

"I think you do." the dark lord replied after some moments with a glare, making Harry chuckle "Where is his wand?"

"I have it, my lord." replied Crouch, showing him the holly wand.

"Give it to me." ordered the dark lord, extending his hand. He got Harry's in his left hand pressed it in his neck while holding his own on his right, pointing it to the ground "Now, did you know that it is even more painful when a spell is cast on us with our own wand?"

"I had no idea." replied Harry, genuinely interested "I do know something, though."

"Oh? And what is it?" asked the dark lord with a vicious smile.

"He's insane, he's taunting him." said Audrey as Daphne was just baffled and confused.

"I know how to draw Melfwarren runic array on my wand to prevent others who're not me to use it." then two things happened. As the dark lord looked to Harry's wand, Harry's right hand, which should be stuck in the tombstone, stole it from Voldemort's grasp and his left hand punched Voldemort in the face, making him step back, holding his face. Harry lost no time, cursing the dark lord with a blue spell but the dark lord dodged it, retaliating with his own wand immediately.

The duel began in earnest and no sound apart the spells was heard in Hogwarts, such was the awe and the surprise they felt... not that they had understood everything that they had seen.

"Did Harry just..."

"Wasn't he stuck to the tombstone?"

"Wow."

"Nice punch."

"What happened?"

Daphne widened her own eyes, as did his her parents, not fully able to process what they were seeing.

"My lord!" shouted Crouch.

"Stay out of this. The boy is mine." the dark lord replied.

Harry snorted but said nothing, continuing to cast spells against the dark lord.

"How did you release yourself?" demanded Voldemort.

"I learned how to unconsciously finite atuck spells when I was four." admitted Harry with a smirk "I was at the curious age and my grandmother didn't like me to roam the manor."

"Impressive." replied Voldemort "Were you biding your time?"

"Call me a Slytherin." taunted Harry casting a spell chain "My grandmother must have taught me well if I still remember her lessons after thirteen years."

"A Potter who was a Slytherin? Now that's something unusual." laughed the dark lord, defending from Harry's curse.

"James and Daniel Potter are the first-born Potters to be sorted in Gryffindor in over three hundred years, unlike all they and the old man claim!" Harry retorted and in Hogwarts everyone looked surprised, having believed in the myth that all Potters were Gryffindors "And there have been as many Potter-Slytherins in the family line by marriage as by Potter-birth." Harry replied in anger, throwing another chain with dangerous and deadly spells.

"It's a shame all your talent will be wasted." replied the dark lord, destroying the spells midair and retaliating with a killing curse.

"We'll see about that!" claimed Harry, dodging the curse and casting a blue ball from his wand that blew up in midair into several small ones, all going against the dark lord, who was forced to put up a shield.

"That spell!" the dark lord shouted, recognizing it and retaliating with a blood red colored curse.

"Potter family magic, Magical Projectile Storm." announced Harry, dodging the curse "The improved version of Magical Projectile." he said, casting a similar blue ball that didn't explode into several but left a hole into the tombstone behind the dark lord.

"Your grandfather used those spells against me." said Voldemort with a sneer "They didn't help him much."

"Then, by all means, allow me to try THE OTHERS!" shouted Harry, waving his wand in arcs and casting several flame arrows towards Voldemort, who dodged some and was forced to raise a shield for others. Then, instead of a fiery arrow, a greenish one was thrown, which splashed against a tombstone, melting some of it, revealing to be acid.

"Impressive, and not very light." mocked the dark lord.

"There is no light nor dark. There is only magic and your own consciousness!" intoned Harry with a snarl.

In Hogwarts, many light sided families and students gaped at his words but many others nodded affirmatively. Of those, most were the neutral families and the Grengrasses were one of such families.

"What are those spells?" asked Audrey Greengrass, receiving no reply.

"I have no idea." replied Jonathan "You know Harry the best, Daphne. Do you know what those spells are?"

 _Do I? Really?_ she wondered, seeing her boyfriend duel the dark lord as an equal, much to everyone's awe. She knew he was good, just not that good.

"I have never seen them." Daphne replied, in a low tone, tears falling from her eyes. She hid her face on her hands and sobbed.

"Daphne, darling, what is it?" asked Audrey and Daphne sobbed again.

"What do you think, mother?" Daphne asked, looking back to the canvas, seeing Harry cursing the dark lord with another volley of the spell he had identified as Magical Projectile Storm "He... he won't be coming back. He won't come back."

"Yes, he will." Audrey replied, even if her voice betrayed her. A small torn look from Daphne was more than enough for Audrey to break and shed all the tears she was holding.

"Why didn't he run? Why, mum?" cried Daphne, being held by her mother in tears "Why didn't he run back to me?"

"Because he's a man, darling. He's an idiot, brave man." Audrey replied with a sad smile, her voice almost failing.

"But he's my man." Daphne sobbed in desperation "He shouldn't be there, not alone."

"He will come back, darling. You heard the same things I did." Audrey replied "He endured a lousy childhood, neglect, he defeated Voldemort once and he's a champion of Hogwarts. You must have faith in him." Audrey did her best to sound convincing, even if she didn't see a way how Harry could survive the dark lord, but her daughter needed to hear it... even if it would break her later on.

"I should be there with him." Daphne sobbed "I should be there with him."

"Well then, Harry Potter." sneered the dark lord "You are powerful, but not enough."

"And you keep calling me Potter..." replied Harry with a snort "How much will it take for you to understand that I am no Potter anymore? I am Greengrass." he shouted, casting a fireball that exploded upon the dark lord's shield. Unfortunately for him, the fireball was no mere confringo but a much more powerful version that nearly threw him on the ground, had Voldemort not held his shield.

"Damn you, Potter! I defeated much stronger opponents than you! I will make you beg, just like I made your grandfather beg for death!"

Harry growled in anger.

"WE'LL SEE!" Harry shouted.

"AVADA KEDAVRA." shouted the dark lord, casting the familiar green curse.

"MORTEM HASTAM!" Harry shouted, casting an unfamiliar red curse.

The two curses met in the air and much to everyone's surprise, a golden cage formed around the two wizards, enveloping them. Their wands somehow connected with each other and the echoes of the cast spells started to emerge from the wands, one at the time.

"What have you done, boy?" demanded the dark lord, his voice bordering on fright, not understanding what was happening.

"I don't know!" replied Harry, trying to hold the spell. Whatever was happening, he realized both wands were connected and the connection was depending of the wizard's power. So he couldn't lose.

In Hogwarts, everyone was wide eyed, as no one had ever seen what was happening.

"Albus, what is happening?" demanded McGonagall, only to have no reply from an amazed and flabbergasted Dumbledore.

Daphne saw it happening and knew that whatever happened wasn't good. She grew concerned over Harry.

"Win. Win. Win..." she was mumbling, watching Harry fighting for his life.

"You can't win, Potter!" Voldemort shouted, deciding to ignore the echo of the spells emerging from his wand, not knowing that they had stopped emerging from Harry's wand.

"You just don't fucking get it, do you, you son of a bitch?" shouted Harry over the noise of whatever was happening "Either you're an idiot or you're too dumb to understand what I've been saying."

"You'll pay for your insolence, Potter!" snarled the dark lord once again, increasing the power of his spell.

"I told you, I AM NO POTTER! James and Lilly disowned me! I AM GREENGRASS!" shouted Harry, increasing his own power behind the spell "And you didn't listen to me when I told you, I'd make you pay for killing my grandparents."

"You're clearly not being successful, boy!" shouted the dark lord in a mocking tone "Nor will you be. It seems we are stuck in this tug of war until one of us is exhausted."

"Which leads us to the third point you didn't listen!" shouted Harry, drawing a secondary wand from his left arm "I KEPT MY GRANDFATHER'S WAND!" Harry shouted, pointing the wand against the dark lord "SPHAERA AESTUOSAM!"

A spell shaped as a sphere and grey coloured flew against the dark lord. Voldemort widened his eyes and having no other way, he tried to dodge the two spells. Unfortunately for him, he was hit by Harry's red spell in the chest, feeling it crumble. The dark lord shouted in pain and agony, only to be hit by the grey sphere and at that moment, his immediate area became a roaring magical maelstrom of fire, ice, lightning, death... all types of primal magical energies manifested at the same time, ripping everything they consumed from existence. Voldemort's painful screams ended with a blinding flash and despite the roaring of the magic, Harry could hear the agitation and the fear of the death eaters, choosing to flee.

In Hogwarts, everyone was gaping, unsure of what to think. Once again, no one had recognized the spells used by Harry and everyone was considering how dark they were. For her part, Daphne was excited, imagining Harry had won with the final spell, cast with his grandfather's wand. That had been a secret she knew well. In fact, she knew he had kept the wands from his grandfather and grandmother, using his grandfather's as his backup because it had better compatibility with himself.

"WIN!" she shouted in tears, trusting Harry would do it. He had to. He always did pull an impossible.

When the roaring maelstrom ended, there was a void circumference where Voldemort had been before, as well as the remains of what seemed to be the upper body of Crouch Jr. The ground seemed to be black, burned and completely voided of life.

"TAKE THAT, you son of a bitch." Harry said while gasping, drawing breath as if he was exhausted, having to support himself in a tombstone.

In Hogwarts, silence was total.

"He did it." mumbled Daphne, her lips slowly growing into a smile "He did it."

"Harry... he killed him?" whispered Jonathan, he too starting to smile, surpassing his own disbelief.

"HARRY KILLED YOU-KNOW-WHO!" someone shouted and the chants for Harry's name began, cheering for him higher and higher, being heard beyond in Hogsmeade.

While everyone was cheering, the Potters and his closest friends were appalled and regretful for all they did against Harry. They had lost a son, a family member, a friend. They had lost a young man filled with potential and secrets that surpassed them all. Lilly Potter felt even worse, remembering all the times she neglected her eldest son in favour of her "duties" or her younger son's needs. It wasn't worth it. In her blind sights, narrow mindedness and selfishness, she had removed her son, her first born son into a corner and now, that same child who had been neglected had rose far beyond what everyone could think and surpassed even the so called greatest wizards alive... while still seventeen.

Lilly Potter felt disgusted with herself and cried for all the years she had lost from her son's life, knowing that she would have no chance of getting them back. She thought long and hard and realized that the only moment she had felt happy with Harry had been when she held him the first time... because the pain of birth had stopped.

She never felt as horrible as she felt that moment. She did see her son's girlfriend, or better yet, her son's betrothed, crying of happiness, being held by her mother, father and sister... as a proper family should.

Daphne was happy. Harry had won. He had won everything. He had beaten Voldemort, killed him, won the tournament and at the end of the day, he's return to her. She still believed she should have been at his side but all she could do was promising that next time, she would be there for him. No more would Harry Potter... No, Harry Greengrass be alone.

Ravenclaw sang for their champion, already planning a huge party for him and no ravenclaw was happier than Luna Lovegood, knowing that her brother like figure would return home well. Thank Merlin the Nargles hadn't clouded his mind.

For his part, Dumbledore was in shock, not knowing what to think. In one hand, he had been completely wrong and his actions had caused the neglect of a child, who had proven to be a resilient person and an outstanding wizard. In another hand, how dangerous was Harry Greengrass, who was completely outside of his influence?

Said young man was gasping, as the final spell he had used had taken a great toll in him. He couldn't help to smile, though.

"I know that spell." a voice said in the darkness, the voice of a woman, kind and proud. Harry turned to the voice and could only gap, seeing the translucid figures of both his grandparents, Brandon and Aurora Potter, both looking at him and smiling proudly.

"I made it..." replied Brandon Potter, smiling at Harry with a proud smile, shocking everyone who heard him back in Hogwarts "My addition to the Potter Grimmoire."

"Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered and back in Hogwarts, those two words only cleaved Lilly Potter's heart deeper, making her crying even more desperately. Everyone else just gaped, not sure of what was happening.

"Just mere echoes, child." replied Brandon Potter with a smile "When your wand locked with Voldemort's, all spells cast showed up in reverse, did they not?" Harry nodded, his eyes tearing "That's called priori incantatem. It happens when brother wands fight each other but is very rare to happen."

"Our wands shared the core of a phoenix, according with Ollivander." replied Harry, cleaning his tears in his sleeve.

"A powerful wand, for my powerful son." said Aurora Potter with a sad smile, knowing that she couldn't comfort him "I'm so proud of you, my darling."

"Tell us about you." demanded Brandon "What house are you in and why those robes?"

"I'm in Ravenclaw." replied Harry with a smirk, allowing his grandfather his moment of joy.

"The best house, naturally." he said with a nod while Aurora scowled.

"The hat decided I should be a Slytherin but because of Voldemort, his followers, James, Lilly and the myth that the brat was the so called Boy-Who-Lived, I asked for Ravenclaw." it was Aurora's turn to gloat while Brandon snorted "The robes are my champion robes, I am Hogwarts champion in the TriWizard Tournament and I was representing the school before all this happened."

"Well done!" said Brandon with pride "So, you're a raven, but you should be a snake, even if you're lion hearted, if your actions here prove anything and a badger for all the hard work and loyalty you demonstrated towards us and the Potter name?" Harry looked confused and Aurora snorted.

"You're a dragon." she replied with a smirk, feeling the need to elaborate "Back in the day, we had a saying... the students suitable for every house were the dragons. You are a dragon, no matter what.

"But what did you mean when you said you were no Potter?" demanded Brandon and Harry flinched.

"James and Lilly disowned me for using dark magic..." Brandon and Aurora didn't react, waiting for the rest "but what I did use were spells I learned from the Grimmoire, which they didn't know. They don't even know of the Grimmoire location."

"THOSE FOOLS!" shouted Brandon Potter, while Aurora simply scowled, although her scowl hid an out of control rage that she was trying to keep in check making use of her Slytherin skills "THOSE IMBECIL, IDIOTIC, MINDLESS, SYCOPHANTS WASTES OF BLOOD AND MAGIC!" Brandon shout to the air and even at the distance, James felt the cold growing in his spine, his father's anger reaching him even in the distance, making him feel very small.

"What of you, then?" demanded Aurora Potter with a full scowl that promised retribution "What is to become of you?"

"Marriage with my girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass, as soon as school ends." replied Harry and his grandparents looked surprised at him, their anger forgot.

"Is she pretty?" demanded Brandon, making Aurora roll her eyes.

"Very." Harry replied and in Hogwarts, Daphne blushed.

"Is she powerful? What house is she in?"

"Yes, she is and she's a snake."

"Ah, my boy has good taste." Brandon laughed while Aurora grinned.

"It's a shame I can't meet her." said Aurora and Harry smiled.

"Here, you can see her picture." Harry said, drawing a necklace silver medallion from his neck. He opened it and showed his grandparents a picture of himself and Daphne, playful waving. In Hogwarts, Daphne rivalled a tomato and every girl awed at Harry's sweetness, feeling jealous of Daphne.

"Meh, my wife's prettier." was Brandon's reply, earning an ethereal nudge that passed through him. Harry chuckled, closing the medallion and placing it at his neck again.

"Be serious, this is our baby boy's future."

"I am being serious. You're far prettier. You're mine." Brandon replied with a grin and Aurora rolled her eyes again, not hiding the smirk "Lesson number one for a successful marriage, keep your wife happy."

"Lesson number two, when in doubt, ask your wife." Aurora nodded with a smirk to her husband "Lesson three..."

"Remember lesson number two." finished Harry and the three laughed.

"Are you happy? Does she make you happy?" asked Aurora and Harry nodded with a smile. At that moment, Daphne's heart swelled.

"When I was a kid, I used to think that you two were what happiness was like." Harry said, surprising everyone hearing him. Harry looked at Brandon and Aurora with a mischievous smirk "You two have nothing on us."

Daphne cried tears of joy, being held by her mother.

"He's a romantic, isn't he?" Audrey asked with a chuckle. Her daughter nodded, noticing her youngest sister sigh wishfully.

"He's also an idiot." Daphne replied. _But he's my loving idiot._

"Our time is running out." Brandon said, looking at his grandson "What they did to you..." he nearly growled "If I could, I would make you lord Potter, you know that." Harry nodded but didn't speak "I really don't care if you're Potter, Greengrass or any other name." he continued "I don't even care if you're my son's son... You're our son and nothing or no one will ever change that."

Harry shed a tear and nodded.

"Thank you for being there when I needed." Harry said "Had it not been for you, I don't..."

A gasp from Brandon and Aurora alerted Harry. A gasp that came too late.

All Harry felt was something pierce his side, making him shout in pain.

"How sweet." a familiar and hated voice said in Harry's ear as the young man cried in shock.

In Hogwarts, the happiness, love and amusement vanished at once, being replaced by fear and panic.

"No, it can't be..." Dumbledore whispered but it was unmistakable.

"HARRY!" shouted Daphne in panic and with renewed tears, seeing Harry gasp and flinching from his side, where she could see something piercing his side where his lung should be, under the bone.

"HARRY!" both his grandparents shouted in concern and fear, vanishing from existence.

"I win, boy!" the voice of the dark lord Voldemort claimed behind Harry, twisting the dagger at Harry's side, making him scream more. However, in a moment of strength, Harry walked forward and rotated on himself, drawing his wand. He cast a point blank reducto into the face of his assailant, who wasn't the dark lord as he believed, but a red eyed Wormtail.

With his head blown up, the body of Wormtail fell on the ground, as did Harry, in pain and gasping for air. He removed the dagger with a scream of pain and a whimper, throwing it away, gasping harder and with blood drooling from his mouth.

"It doesn't matter how many times you kill me, boy!" the voice of Voldemort said again, coming from the black cloud of mist and vapor emerging from Pettigrew's body "I am immortal."

"You... son... of... a... bitch." Harry gasped, rising his wand towards the cloud, making it chuckle "A dragon." Voldemort mocked "Brought down by a snake."

Despite everyone being too shocked and teary with all they were seeing, those who had heard Luna in the beginning of the week gasped, making the connection. Luna had no idea of her part nor would she pay attention to it, since she was simply terrified, her hands on her mouth and her dreamy eyes unusually focused and despaired. As was Luna, there were many others, boys, girls and even adults, all were shocked with what they were seeing, the final moments of Harry Greengrass, a man, a champion, a friend.

Lilly Potter had widened her eyes, covering her shock with her hands and crying in desperation, as she saw her son fall in pain and remove a dagger from his side.

Madam Pomfrey, who was at her makeshift tent, cried as she realized:

"His lung... he pierced his lung, he will bleed to death..."

Daphne was no different. At first, she was happy but the moment she heard Harry's scream, she knew it wasn't normal. She became desperate as she heard Voldemort's voice taunting Harry. What would be necessary to finish that monster? Then she realized that he had stabbed Harry.

"Coward... that coward can't beat him in a duel to he stabbed him in the back." Daphne heard her father say in tears. She couldn't accept it, she just couldn't accept it was the truth. Harry was fine, he had to be. He would recover, he would get up... Daphne just cried, tear filled eyes and whole her desperation turned to the canvas, depicting a gasping Harry raising his wand towards the Voldemort cloud.

"What are you going to do, boy?" Voldemort mocked "I am immortal. You can't kill me!"

"I can still... hurt...you." Harry gasped and a searing bright light shone between them. Voldemort screamed in pain and the cloud fled from Harry, who dropped the wand, spitting blood with a cry. His left hand went to his wound and he tried to move, dragging himself on the ground, realizing his increasing difficulty in breathing, starting to suffocate "Daphne." he whispered and in Hogwarts, a teary and desperate Daphne, as long as everyone else, focused on the canvas, the whimpering, the sadness, the crying all being secondary to Harry's words "Daphne... I'm sorry..." he begged again, turning himself up to the sky, his gasping increased. Harry widened his eyes "Daphne... I love you."

And then he was no more.

Harry Greengrass had died.

"NNNOOO!" shouted Daphne in utter desperation, being held by her mother and father. No one was able to say or do anything, simply crying as they saw the unmovable body of the Hogwarts champion, the same boy who had defeated the dark lord Voldemort in a duel of epic proportions, only for him to rise again from the dead and kill Harry.

The real Boy-Who-Lived, their true saviour, their champion, their friend, was dead.

For moments, only the crying was heard. No one had the courage to do anything.

"For Merlin sake, Albus, end the charm." demanded McGonagall, crying as she saw Harry's body, his eyes opened looking at the sky. Even Snape was emotional, even if he didn't show it by shedding tears. He didn't like the boy, but he had proved time and again that he was nothing as his father. In fact, the boy was nothing like his parents, now he knew that. He always believed Harry Potter was all the best there was in Lilly Potter. He could see now he was wrong. Dumbledore lowered his head, regretting the death of one so young with so much potential. However, Harry's death was useful to show everyone that Voldemort still lived.

James Potter had paled time and again throughout the duel and regret much of his actions. His father's words, however, had cut him deep and he truly felt ashamed for the person he was, trying to hold his sobbing wife. His best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin stood solemn as well, trying to remember a time when they had been close to the eldest Potter child, remembering none.

The Greengrass family was no better. Daphne was sobbing and both parents had to hold her, they none better. Astoria was sat in the stands, her head in her hands, sobbing for the loss of her older "brother". As Daphne calmed down, Jonathan left his family and walked to the minister.

"What do you intend to do about this?" he demanded with a glare.

"I... I..."

"I asked, what do you intend to do about this?" shouted Jonathan.

"Now, now, lord Greengrass, I realize this is an emotional moment..." tried the pink dressed woman, only to be rebuked.

"SHUT UP, UMBRIDGE!" he shouted once again "Minister, what are you going to do? Are those death eaters going to remain free after all we saw and heard, for the sake of your campaigns? Is Harry's murderer remain in freedom, with a concocted lie how he's defeated?" the man glared at the shorter one."

"No, he won't." said another voice, one that Jonathan recognized immediately.

"Madam Bones." Jonathan said with a nod, earning a nod back. The iron lady had been crying, that was for sure.

"I have already given orders to capture all death eaters who were identified by Voldemort." she explained, ignoring Fudge's ramblings "This time, none of them will be able to used the imperius excuse, not after all we heard."

"Good." Jonathan replied, glaring hatefully at Fudge before turning his back on them.

"Lord Greengrass, if I may..." madam Bones said "I offer my condolences in the name of house Bones. Your son-in-law proved to be an outstanding young man. His loss will be missed." Jonathan nodded and left, back to his family, where his eldest daughter was still crying in his wife's arms.

What could he do to help her ease the pain?

Nothing.

How could one forget someone they loved?

If he knew his daughter well, the moment Daphne graduated, she would join the auror corps, to hunt down Voldemort and his death eaters. Could he blame her? He looked around and saw many similar looks, glares and stone hard decisions made at the moment. Many were ready to fight back and most of them all were the Ravenclaw seventh years.

A roaring cry pierced the air and everyone knew it came from the canvas. They all looked at it and to everyone's surprise, shock and awe, Harry rose from the ground with a loud cry and a gasp for air. While everyone shrieked or cried in shock, many having fainted, Daphne widened her eyes and gaped, hope surging in her chest.

"It can't be... how?" Jonathan asked himself.

In the canvas, Harry whimpered in pain, rolling in the ground and grabbing his wand in what seemed to be a lot of effort, pointing it at himself.

He said no words but a golden spell hit him and somehow and for everyone's amazement, his breathing became stable, his pain seemed to disappear and he seemed go get better in mere moments.

"Thank you, mum." Harry whispered, leaning his back and head to the closest tombstone. He felt his grandfather's and in his sleeve holster and got up, still feeling pain in his side "Accio TriWizard's cup." he whispered and the glowing cup floated to him.

Harry touched it with his wand and it glowed blue for a moment. All heads of house knew what that had been and many were amazed. Harry had just created a portkey.

Harry looked around one last time.

"Daphne." he whispered, feeling the tug on his navel.

In Hogwarts, the silence was total, seeing Harry disappearing from sight, only to see him appearing in front of them, holding the cup.

No sound was heard in the stands nor did he say anything, looking at only one person, with.

"H-Harry?" asked Daphne and he nodded.

"I... I know you saw everything..." he tried to say, only to be jumped by a crying Daphne, who kissed him, not caring about anything else. Then the chanting began, slowly and low, rising in intensity, shouted by every student.

"HARRY! HARRY!"

"DRAGON!" Luna added as well, being followed by many others, jumping from her seat and running to her brother like figure, not that he had been released by Daphne. Chants of "DRAGON!" echoed around and as Daphne broke the kiss, she took her hand to Harry's side wound, seeing nothing there but hurt flesh.

"Don't do that again. Don't scare me to death." she demanded, hugging him.

Harry closed his eyes, ignoring the chants and everyone else. He had everything he needed in his arms and he was not about to let go for anything or anyone.

 **And Scene**


	2. Chapter 2 - A Crossover With Skyrim

/

Disclaimer

I own nothing of the Harry Potter franchise.

Glad to clear that up

/

 **This is an idea between a Harry Potter and a Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Crossover.**

 **The pairings are Harry/Daphne and OC/Astoria. In this fic, Harry and Daphne are three years older and Astoria is the same age as Daphne is in cannon.**

"this is text" - normal dialog

" _this is text_ " - dialog spoken in a foreign language

 _this is text - thought_

 _Now keep focus and concentrate the magic._ thought Mathis Potter, fourth year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He looked to his left hand, which he was holding with his right, focusing on the flames taking shape, slowly swirling and increasing its power. _Slowly, I need to feel the right moment._ he thought again, making a small fireball in his hand. _All right, the Firebolt is done, now, just a little more to make a fireball._

"Mr. Potter?" a voiced asked, which the boy ignored, keeping focused on the magical flames taking shape on his hand.

 _Just a little more..._

"Mr. Potter!" a second voice was heard, which he also ignored.

 _Just a little more..._

"Mr. Potter!" several voices shouted at the same time, breaking his focus. He let go of the spell and a small ball of fire flew to the ceiling, hitting a beam and not exploding at all.

"WHAT?!" he shouted back, turning to the head table with a glare.

"The head master still has to make his speech." replied Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of the school, glaring at the young boy, alone in the head of Gryffindor table. Should Mathis look around him, he would see that his housemates had all left his vicinity and were all huddled five seats away from him, all looking at him, half in shock and half cursing their luck. The remaining three houses were just watching the proceedings with interest.

"Right, because the headmaster always makes important speeches at the beginning of the year." Mathis shot back, doing his best Dumbledore impression "The forbidden items list are at Filch's door and Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Let's eat."

Most of the students actually laughed at Mathis' reaction, even some of the teachers. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape didn't.

"You insolent boy, twenty points from Gryffindor for disrespect." Severus Snape, the potion's teacher shouted and many Gryffindors groaned.

"Already?" groaned a set of red head twins in unison, cursing their luck.

"As interesting as it is to watch you work your magic, Mr. Potter, I most definitively have more announcements this year, apart the usual ones you already mentioned." Dumbledore said with an obviously false grandfatherly tone, trying to hide his annoyance towards the boy "So if you could be seated, I would appreciate it."

Matt rolled his eyes and sat once again, annoyed and bored, only then noticing he was alone.

"Where in oblivion are Nev and Mione?" he asked before Dumbledore could resume his speech, looking around and seeing his two lion best friends five seats away from him. Hermione Granger glared at him and Neville Longbottom looked amused.

"Are you done with your crazy ideas?" Hermione asked with a glare and Matt turned to Neville with a questioning look.

"If Gryffindor house could go back to their proper seats..." requested the headmaster with a sigh and the lions did it, some reluctantly but hoping the menace would just calm down.

Hermione sat with a huff next to Matt, turning to the head table and ignoring him, while Neville sat in front of her. Matt kept looking bored, ignoring Dumbledore's announcements.

"So... did it work?" asked Neville with a mocking smile, earning a glare from Matt.

"Do you think?" Matt glared at him "Why did you milk drinkers ran away?" Neville snorted.

"Why did you think?" he asked and Matt snorted "House of the brave..."

"We have known you for too long to know what to expect when something you do goes wrong." accused Neville "Or did you forgot that time last year when you accidentally increased gravity and we could barely move? "

"That was a slight miscalculation, I was trying to take the weight off our bags." Matt defended himself.

"I got late to classes because of you." growled Hermione, still ignoring him but having to add that particular information "Besides, there's a magic spell that does that. You didn't need to use magicka."

"What about that time when you conjured lights so bright that they kept us from sleeping in our room and we had to sleep in the common room? "

"They vanished by themselves."

"Around four in the morning." replied Neville with a tick in his eye "What about that spell that destroyed Weasley's clothes?"

"That wasn't an accident, he deserved it."

"The rune that sent McLaggen to the hospital for two weeks?" asked Hermione, turning to the two boys.

"Fine, I made a mistake drawing the rune but he shouldn't have stepped on it." Matt replied.

"The one spell that demoralized Oliver Wood before the game?" asked Neville.

"We cheered him up with enough charms to counter it, he was fine."

Neville had to fight a new tick in his eye. Sometimes talking to Matt was like talking to a brick wall.

"YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING!" they heard the Weasley twins shout.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

McGonagall coughed and Dumbledore went on.

"What was that about?" asked Neville.

"No idea, probably nothing important." replied Matt.

"Actually, there won't be a quidditch tournament this year because of the TriWizard Tournament." replied Hermione, who had paid enough attention, unlike her two friends.

"TriWizard Tournament? What's that?" asked Matt.

"International competition between schools." Hermione replied "Couldn't you pay attention?"

"To Dumbledore?" asked Matt, rising his eyebrow, making Hermione roll her eyes and Neville snicker.

"Tell me just one thing, what were you doing?" Hermione asked.

"When?" Matt asked, turning to her.

"That flame spell..." she replied "It looked like a firebolt, but..."

"I was trying to make a fireball." Matt replied.

"What's the difference?" asked Neville, he too interested on his friend's magic.

"Fireball is an Adept rank Destruction spell. It shoots a ball of fire that explodes upon impact while Firebolt is a novice spell that only shoots a ball of fire that starts a fire and causes damage, as you know."

"What was the problem, then?" asked Hermione "Why the difficulty?"

"You know why, Mione." Matt replied with a sigh "I know only the theory of some of the basic spells, not all of them. To cast the others, I have to go by trial and error and sometimes I have to compensate with what I learn here..."

"Achieving more errors than successes." snickered Neville, trying to ease his friend's mood.

"AH AH, Longbottom. AH AH." he replied sarcastically, making Hermione chuckle "Do you think he'll shut up soon?"

"Seems like it." replied Hermione.

"So, just to be sure, this year you intend to try harder to discover some of your spells?" asked Neville as Dumbledore said the magical words to start the feast.

"Yes, some of them, at least." replied Matt, picking some chicken and vegetables.

"All right, please let me know when to be away and in safety." he replied, making Matt snort.

"House of the brave, indeed... This wouldn't happen if that old pile of scrib jelly hadn't kidnap me." he mumbled, heard by his friends, who looked at each other, seeing him clenching his fists in anger "He ignored me completely this summer, never replied my letters, never gave me what I asked..."

Hermione placed her hand on Matt's shoulder, seeing him look down.

"If that old pile of scrib jelly, as you say, hadn't kidnapped you, I'd be dead by now." she told him with teary eyes. Matt sighed, putting an arm around her, trying to comfort her.

"And I'd most certainly be a failure in magic." Neville replied, looking at him. Matt looked conflicted and saddened.

"I'm sorry, but... it's not like I want to go back..." he whispered, heard only by them "I mean, I do, but I don't want to leave permanently... I..."

"We understand, Matt." replied Hermione, patting him on his back with a sad smile "I would feel the same way if I were you and I guess that your need to learn magicka's spells is just to feel closer to home?"

"Yes, something like that." Matt admitted, looking down "I like it here and I like you guys, I really see you as family but... Winterhold was my home, I grew there, I studied there, I trained there for years... I need to do it, not just for me, but..."

"I understand, Matt." Neville replied "I understand very well."

"Just be careful." replied Hermione "Your spells can become really dangerous if you're not careful."

"Thanks, Mione, Nev. You're better friends than I deserve." he said and she nodded.

"Yes, we are." the three chuckled and Hermione snuggled a little bit more in Matt's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" asked Matt and Neville saw the smirk on her lips.

"I'm just teasing a certain snake." Hermione replied, making Neville snicker and Matt look up. In the other side of the hall, trying to look inconspicuous, Astoria Greengrass-Black, fourth year Slytherin student was looking at them, ignoring the conversation with her year mates. When she pulled strand of black hair to behind her ear, she mock glared at the gryffindor girl, who snickered, making Matt sigh.

"Sure, go ahead, make my life miserable." said Matt, rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry, I have someone much better than you." Hermione replied, making Neville laugh.

"And yet, here you are, at my side." Matt taunted her.

"That's just because I like to have my boyfriend's handsome view during dinner." replied Hermione with a chuckle "You just happened to be sat there."

"Burned." replied Neville, making Hermione laugh. Matt chuckled, seeing Astoria looking at him with a small smile. He smiled back and she went back to her conversation with Tracy Davies and Millicent Bullstrode.

All things considered, Mathis' life wasn't so bad. He had good friends, a beautiful and headstrong girlfriend, a good family... however, even if that was enough to compensate for the lack of his home, it didn't compensate for his brother, the one he missed most of all.

He still had nightmares, remembering how everything had happened. They were having a small party for Harren, also known as Harry Potter, for becoming the youngest master of alteration magic in Winterhold, at age fourteen. Harren had joked that more people could do the same, if only they were lucky enough to be raised in the college, by the masters and the students. Master Tolfdir, Harren's master was there, as was the archmage Savos Aren Mirabelle Ervine, Colette Marence, Faralda, Drevis Neloren, Phinis Gestor, Sergius Turrianus, Urag gro-Shub, Nirya, Arniel Gane, Enthir (who smuggled some drinks), Brelyna Maryon, Onmund, J'zargo... everyone. That was just a proof in how his brother was well liked by everyone.

Mathis (Matt's name in Tamriel) had been so proud of his brother, standing next to him as if he was standing next to a great hero of the first era... in a way, he was a great hero, at least for him. Harren had told him all that had transpired on the night their parents had died, how a dark wizard had attacked them, killed their parents and tried to kill Mathis, only to have the spell he had used rebound on Mathis (somehow), destroying him. Harren, who was injured at the time, had tried to protect his brother while the enemy wizard screamed in pain and was consumed in green fire. Then, with a bright flash, the four year old Harren and the one year old Mathis had appeared in the Hall of the Elements of the college of Winterhold, in the middle of a lecture by Master Faralda. After examining both children, the masters had determined that they had a lot of magicka for children and that Mathis had, somehow, a piece of a soul in the lightning scar of his forehead. Master Phinis Gestor, master of conjuration magic and master Sergius Turrianus, master of enchanting, had both used their knowledge and extracted the piece of soul without harming the baby, determining the piece as unstable and less than a petty soul.

As both children showed magical potential, the Archmage himself had decided to allow them to stay in the college. As the years passed, Harren proved to have a strong willpower, dedicating himself to learn magic and raising his brother, who worshiped him and wanted to be just like him. At age twelve, Harren was already sent in quests for the college, gaining experience in Skyrim and in life, proving to be a powerful mage. All Mathis wanted was to be like his brother and adventure with Harren across Tamriel.

Then, it happened. In Harren's celebration, a vortex had opened, swallowing Mathis. Harren tried to save his brother while all the masters and students were trying to close the vortex, holding on to him tight but the power of the vortex was too strong. In the end, there was nothing that Harren could do. Mathis could still hear his brothers screams, his horror and anger seeing his brother being swallowed by the vortex... Mathis came out in Hogwarts, facing none others than Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and nearly fifty people that had by then been identified as the order of the phoenix and several other ministry officials.

Their first meeting had not been a good one. First of all, Mathis had no idea what they were saying nor could they understand him. Then, after being kidnapped, any sensible person would attempt to escape or fight his captors, should he be able to. So he did and even with several novice and low level apprentice spells, he had managed to hurt several of his enemies, break some of the sticks they were waving around to do magic and burn some of their robes... In any other circumstance, it would have been fun but Mathis had been distressed and wasn't able to understand anything of what was happening.

He was finally stopped by none other than Dumbledore, who had stunned him, as he would later learn. When he woke up, he was surprised with the fact that he could understand his captors language, thanks to a spell. They welcomed him, called him Mathew Potter, their savior and the Boy-Who-Lived, none of which mattered to Mathis. All he wanted was to return home, back to his brother. They tried to convince him that he was home, in the home of his parents and his ancestors but Mathis denied it, insisting on being sent home, back to Winterhold College.

He had no idea of how long had passed, what he knew was that he was subjected to several compulsion charms. He could feel his tattooed runes flaring every time he was subjected to a new compulsion... and he had never been more thankful to J'zargo for his crazy ideas of enchanted ink to make a tattooed enchantment to resist spells... It only worked for illusion based spells, which thankfully was what Mathis needed. He believed that he had been subjected to mind altering potions but tried to keep focus...

Eventually, Dumbledore came to him with a letter and told him that he had to attend a school for magic. That was of Mathis interest, so he listened the old man. Dumbledore had already told him that he knew of no way to send him back to his home, forcing him to stay in the new world, so Mathis decided to attempt to learn more and attempt to find a way back home. That and he was also interested in the new world. Dumbledore and the others that came regularly were rejoiced that he had accepted to go to the school, not that Mathis had understood why.

Mathis was placed with a family of red heads for one month and he prayed to the aedra and the daedra that he wouldn't be placed with those insane people again. Apparently there were nine of them. The father was a man who lived obsessed with the non magical people of the world, a concept that Mathis hadn't understood, since everyone could practice magic on Nirn, except those who were sick with the sickness that prevented magicka regeneration, whose name he didn't know, and collected all kinds of stuff. The mother was smothering and was always on top of her children, always protecting and controlling them. The two eldest sons were working away, one being a curse breaker, something akin an explorer and the second eldest worked with dragons, which were unlike the dragons of Skyrim, being animals in this new world. The third eldest, despite being a brown nose, was an ambitions fellow and Mathis learned a lot from the world with him, providing him as well with several books to read. Then, there were the twins, who were always trying to prank everyone. Sheogorath touched fools... It got old quick and once, catching Mathis of guard and actually scare him when he was meditating and attempting some spells from home, they were burned by Mathis flames spell, out of reflex. The second to last was a boy of Mathis age, who wanted to be his best friend and never left him alone. All he wanted was to play quidditch and lazing around. Then in last, there was the daughter of the family, who was always following him around in the distance, trying not to be seem, always blushing around him and Mathis could swear that he had seen her drooling once when he was shirtless after some spell casting and a quick run over their pond, practicing a weak version of the water walking spell.

His kidnappers had acquired all of Mathis materials for school but he still had to go buy a wand. As it turned out, his wand was the brother wand of the Dark Lord Voldemort's. Not that it mattered to him, he believed a wand was just a tool and nothing else. When he finally left for school, Mathis was more excited to leave the house and see this new world than anything else. They travelled by floo, which was using the fireplace and Mathis found the experience very interesting, wanting to know more about it. Then, they crossed a huge city, much greater than any city in Skyrim and went through a wall in a train station. Going through the wall had been understandable, it was nothing new to Mathis but the contraption spewing smoke, the one he was going to travel in was... He found it interesting, remembering him of a Dwemer contraption.

He boarded the so called train and tried to find an empty compartment but was unlucky enough that the first person to enter in his compartment was Ron Weasley, the second to last son of the Weasleys that hadn't left him alone all month. The trip was boring and Mathis tried to read, being distracted by Weasley. Then, deciding to go exploring, he met a bushy haired girl who was looking for a toad. Finding it oddly curious, he offered his assistance, introducing himself as Mathis Potter, to which the girl asked him if she was related to Mathew Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. After some long explanations, during which the toad had been forgotten, the girl was amazed with Mathis story. He even used some magicka to prove his words and she was truly convinced. Wanting to become his friend, she offered to help him with all she knew. He accepted and Hermione Granger became Mathis Potter first true friend in the new world. Mathis also met a shy pudgy boy, who was amazed by meeting him. He told him he was Neville Longbottom and that their mothers were each other godmothers. Having found unknown family, Mathis had been overjoyed and didn't leave the two for the rest of the trip, forgetting all about the annoying Weasel.

They eventually reached Hogwarts, and was time for the sorting. Mathis stood between Hermione and Neville, with Ron Weasley trying to be a part of the group. They were approached by Draco Malfoy and soon everyone was looking at them. Ron Weasley insulted Draco Malfoy, who insulted him back but Mathis ignored the warnings that he was a "death eater snake scum", whatever that meant and met Draco Malfoy politely, as he had been instructed to do so in Winterhold College, in manners class... Just because it was a magical school, that didn't mean that non-magical curses weren't lectured. Everyone was surprised, especially the diehard light and dark children but Mathis didn't cared. He had been raised in Winterhold, in Skyrim, where the life was short and tough enough to learn not to make enemies out of people in a first meeting.

Then the sorting came and when his name was called, he insisted that his name was Mathis, not Mathew, starting a discussion that ended only when the hat itself called him by his desired name. He found the hat fascinating and made it several questions that the hat had no idea how to answer. He was sorted into Gryffindor for his determination and bravery, according with the hat, but also to stand with his friends, who had been sorted there as well.

The classes were interesting and apart potions, both because he had little talent for it and the teacher who seemed to have a personal vendeta against him, Mathis enjoyed his classes.

On Halloween, when apparently was the anniversary of his victory over the dark lord, Weasley insulted Hermione. Both Mathis and Neville punched Weasley, leaving him to go search for Hermione. They found her crying in a toilet but were unable to convince her to leave the stall. Then, a fourth year Slytherin girl entered the bathroom. They recognized her immediately, she was Daphne Greengrass, known to many as the ice queen and deadly with her wand. Mathis respected the girl's infamy and after some explanations, it was Daphne who convinced Hermione to leave the stall. How, they didn't know because Daphne ordered both boys to leave and nearly half an hour later, Hermione left the bathroom, to her friends delight. She never spoke about it and they respected it.

Neville and Mathis were given detention for punching Weasley, even if everyone who saw it opposed it and that night, a troll entered the castle. Later they came to know that it had been found destroying the bathroom where Hermione had been. Hadn't the boys gone for her, she would probably be dead.

Mathis spent Christmas, a holyday he had no knowledge of, with Neville, receiving several gifts. One of them was an invisibility cloak, which had belonged to his father and another, his favorite, was a photo album with pictures from his parents and his brother. Both had come anonymous and from different people.

Mathis trained his magicka and his magic, successfully casting several spells wandlessly and helping Neville. In conversation, he discovered that Neville was using his father's wand and not his own. After a quick trip to Ollivander's, Neville got a new wand and there was a sudden improvement on his magic work. Mathis was able to improve his skill in destruction magic and a bit on conjuration by casting his familiar, shocking Neville's grandmother, believing Mathis had cast a patronus. It was not the case but it was still impressive.

When they went back to school, they started to receive clues that something was hidden in the school. They researched and discovered that a philosopher's stone was hidden in the corridor that they had been forbidden to enter.

Around March, Draco Malfoy came to Mathis, wanting to introduce him to Miss Astoria Greengrass. Astoria was a pretty girl and was known to be a good student and the total opposite of her sister. She was warm and happy while Daphne was cold and stoic. Mathis and Astoria got along well, much to the chagrin of Weasley and several other light fanatics.

At the end of the year, they infiltrated the corridor, trying to prevent what they believed to be a theft. The defenses had been pathetic and the three reached a room surrounded by flames with a pedestal with several vials, one of them being a potion to pass the flames. Only Mathis was able to pass, since there was only enough potion for one, founding Quirrel, who stood before the Mirror of Erised. To his horror, Mathis discovered that Voldemort had survived that night and lost no time, attacking Quirrel and the dark lord possessing him. Caught by surprise, Quirrel was hit with several firebolts, his robes starting to burn. The man died, burned alive, and a shadow left the carcass, fleeing from the room. Mathis looked to the mirror and saw himself standing with his brother, both wearing archmage robes, adventuring together. He quickly realized what he was seeing and with a tear, he left the room, only to find Dumbledore with his friends.

In the last week of term, Astoria was having a conversation with Mathis when Daphne saw them. Mathis had noticed that Daphne had always glared at the two of them together and decided it was enough. He confronted her, against Astoria's begging and demanded to know what her problem was.

 _"My problem is you, you damn brat." Daphne had told him in anger "It has always been you."_

 _"What the hell did I do to you?" he asked, surprised, not realizing the commotion they were creating and the rally of the audience._

 _"You survived." she replied._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry for not dying. I'll try to do it better next time." he replied sarcastically._

 _"Don't be an idiot, you brat." she shouted, angrier at him "My damned father and his treacherous family may have been death eaters but don't you throw me into that lot, not you."_

 _"Why not?" he asked, surprised and seeing the sorrow in Astoria's eyes, who was trying to placate her sister "You certainly act as if you hated my guts, much more than anyone else."_

 _"Do you like your fame, little boy?" she demanded of him "Do you even care on how you got it?"_

 _"What are you...?"_

 _"Do you even remember anything? Do you remember your mother? Your father?" Mathis growled and balled his fists "Do you remember your brother? Did He kill him before he turn to you?" demanded Daphne, glaring at Mathis, who widened his eyes "His body was never found, only his blood. Did he scream? Did he try to protect you, only to die like the weak little boy he was? Do you even care?"_

 _At that point, Mathis snapped and threw every spell he knew at Daphne. Magickal and magical, he attacked her with everything he had and everyone ran away from them, all but Astoria, who just fell to the ground and stood wide eyes watching Mathis fighting her sister, who was unable to do anything but use a shield or dodge Mathis strange magic._

 _"My parents were soldiers in war!" Mathis had shouted "They knew the risks they were taking. I don't remember them but I understand and respect them." he shouted "But my brother... You have no right of saying that. You don't know anything about my brother!" Astoria widened her eyes and Daphne glared at the boy, defending his barrage of spells "My parents had wands and were powerful magi, he was not. My brother still tried to save me, throwing toys at Voldemort, only to be cursed with a wide gash in his chest. He bled but even in tears and pain he stood between me and Voldemort." Mathis let his tears flow and had he paid attention, he would have seen Daphne's surprise, her tears showing "When Voldemort cursed me, he could do nothing but when the curse rebound, he held me tight. He held me though the green inferno that burned the bastard and he got his own scars to prove it." Mathis told her, sending several firebolts against Daphne "He never let me go through all of it and we were only separated when he fainted." everyone could see Mathis tears "He told me all this. He raised me! When I cried, my brother would keep me comfortable. When I was hungry, my brother fed me. When I was hurt, my brother healed me. When I needed help, he was always there, no matter his own duties or tasks, he was always there for me and all I ever wanted was to be like him." he shouted with a growl "My brother is one of the most powerful magi in Winterhold, if not Skyrim. At age fourteen, he was already a master of alteration, the divines only know what he has achieved in a year more and if that damned headmaster of this oblivion forsaken school hadn't kidnapped me, I would still be at his side." Daphne widened her eyes, nearly missing a spell "You have no right to even speak his name, you damn bitch, no right. NO RIGHT!" Mathis summoned his wolf familiar, which attacked Daphne. Fortunately for the girl, the teachers appeared, vanishing the familiar and stunning Mathis._

The young Potter was punished for casting such spells but much to his surprise, Daphne came to his defense, telling the headmaster that Mathis was innocent and that she had been the one who caused the altercation. Daphne saw her hopes of being a prefect on her fifth year vanishing but didn't care, since Mathis was only punished in one hundred points and several detentions.

When he confronted Daphne again, all she asked him was if Harry was truly alive. He said yes and Daphne fell on her knees, crying, much to Mathis surprise. Astoria, who was with them, hugged her sister and she too cried.

 _"You don't remember, do you?" asked Astoria, with teary eyes "You don't remember us? We played together as babies."_

 _"My brother used to tell me about Tori and... Daphy..."_ at that moment, Mathis widened his eyes, connecting the names. They talked and Astoria admitted the truth. Both Greengrass girls were actually Greengrass-Black, the daughters of Sirius Black and Anne Greengrass, they had simply dropped the name Black in shame. Their families had been close until the day their father betrayed them all and joined the dark lord, giving up the secret location of the Potters.

Then, Mathis said one thing that changed their lives completely.

 _"Damn you, Wormtail."_

At that moment, both girls turned to him, demanding an explanation and he told them the very same Harren had told him a long time ago: they had three uncles, Moony, who he believed to be a werewolf, Padfoot, who could transform in a big black shabby and playful dog and Wormtail, who was a rat. Their parents had chosen Wormtail to protect them but he betrayed everyone... in fact, he had been there that night. Harren had asked for help and he had just turned away.

The two girls were so shocked that they were unable to say a word. Daphne left immediately and in less than one hour, Mathis repeated the same story and offered a memory of the conversation with his brother to the aurors.

Less than a week later, Sirius Black had been thoroughly interrogated and it had been discovered that he had no proper trial... when he finally had it, he was exonerated.

Mathis was appalled that a man would be sent ten years to prison without a trial. He also felt bad for not thinking of his uncles, he might have helped uncle Padfoot earlier.

Spending his summer with Neville and Hermione, Mathis traded several letters with Astoria and had discovered that Sirius was getting better, wanting to know him. Sirius was actually sad and disgusted that his family had believed that he could have betrayed his best friends. In the beginning, things weren't well at their house but Sirius would have long talks with Astoria, the only one who he thought innocent, getting to know his daughter well, enough to be able to forgive Daphne, who clearly was broken by all of it. He eventually forgave their mother, mostly out of love and they became a family again by August. That was also when Mathis met Sirius for the first time, after being rushed by Astoria, Daphne and Anne. Sirius couldn't stop laugh after that.

He actually liked the man, who he came to know as Harren's godfather and he was offered a home with them, the least they could do to repay him for all he did for them. Mathis promised to think about it but only after they solved their family businesses.

When his second year started, Mathis had problems crossing to the platform but thanks to all of his family, he was able to pass the platform. For DADA that year, they had the author Gilderoy Lockhart as a teacher and while many girls swooned around him, Mathis, Neville, Hermione, Astoria and even Daphne found the man an abhorrent teacher. Then, on Halloween, Mrs. Norris, strange attacks began, petrifying the victims. Everyone became nervous and no one walked the corridors alone.

One evening, Mathis was with Neville, Hermione and Astoria in an abandoned classroom on the second floor, where Mathis was explaining them about conjuration magicka. He had been successful in conjuring a flaming familiar and wanted to attempt to conjure a flaming Atronarch, which he was sure he would be able to do. He actually did it but the atronarch blasted through the door and left in a hurry, leaving the four teens confused. They intended to go after it, only to hear hisses and the sound small explosions that Mathis recognized to be fireballs. Then, a great hiss and a much louder explosion were heard and Mathis gave order to run. That could only mean that the Atronarch had been destroyed and most definitively by some kind of a dangerous creature, most likely the monster of the chamber. So, they run and their feet took them to Gryffindor tower, where no one liked to see Astoria but no one would say anything against Mathis, especially after he summoned another atronarch to prove his point. The thing just floated around in the room, leaving a small trail of flames on the ground while Astoria was held by Harry and Longbottom held Hermione, the four scared.

Then the announcement was made. All students were to avoid the second floor stay in their common rooms. A message was sent to McGonagall about Astoria and the deputy went to the lion's tower demanding answers. She had troubles with the explanation, not because she found it ludicrous but because she was too distracted with the atronarch roaming the room. When Mathis was denied to accompanying Astoria back to her common room, he sent the atronarch with her and McGonagall, to help protect them.

The following day, it was announced that the beast of the chamber had been found dead on the second floor, having suffered several small explosions in the head and one huge inside the mouth. At that moment, four people knew exactly what had killed the monster but told it to no one.

Some weeks later, Mathis found a strange diary, who actually wrote back to him. Finding it extremely bizarre, he asked his friends about such things, who knew of nothing of the sort. Knowing it couldn't be a good thing, Mathis delivered the diary to Dumbledore at his friends suggestion. He may loath the man but he was the headmaster and such a strange thing should be reported. In fact, Dumbledore had been appalled when he saw the book and thanked Mathis, rewarding him with fifty points for school services. Not only that, after a small conversation, Dumbledore realized Mathis had been responsible for the slaying of the basilisk, giving him one hundred points more.

That Christmas, Mathis moved in with the Greengrass-Black family, receiving his vault key from Gringotts, something he had no idea of and discovering that he was the Potter heir, the heir of an old and rich family. He was entitled to claim his inheritance at seventeen, should his elder brother not claim it first. That Christmas was amazing and summer quickly arrived, where he became closer to Astoria.

Their third year was unusually calm, with no problems or adventures. Uncle Moony, also known as Remus Lupin, was their DADA teacher. Sirius had actually attempted to make some peace with the man and tried to get him a proper job. As a teacher, Moony was excellent but his position was lost when it was discovered that the man was a werewolf. During that year, Mathis managed to successfully learn several magicka spells, as well as cast several magic spells wandless, starting to consider himself a high apprentice of magicka.

During the summer of the third year, Astoria and Mathis accepted their feelings and started dating. Sirius attempted to have the talk with Mathis, trying to sound intimidating but it was hard enough when he was rejoicing, so he did the second best thing. He delegated the task to Daphne.

The Quidditch world cup was held in Britain that summer and the whole family plus Neville and Hermione, attended. When their friends announced they too were dating, Astoria's response was: "About time."

In the end of the game, there was an attack by death eaters but none of them witnessed it, since they were too far from the center of the disturbance. All they saw the dark mark in the sky, though.

Mathis attempted to expand his known spells into Adept level that summer but was unsuccessful, thinking about it during the express trip and finally trying it again during the beginning of the year speeches, failing once again...

"A knut by your thoughts?" asked Neville and Matt looked at him.

"I was just thinking on the road so far." he replied with a shrug, grabbing a bite from his plate "What about you two?"

"We were actually talking about the TriWizard champion." replied Hermione, earning a confused look from Matt.

"Who?"

"Honestly, Matt, you should have paid attention." sighed Hermione "Each school will be represented by a champion. It is completely optional to put your name forward but if you are chosen, you have to compete."

"Who do you think should be chosen?" asked Neville and Matt's eyes went directly to one person having dinner among her yearmates and joining in some conversation.

"If Daph wants to put her name forward, I think she'll be our champion." he replied, earning a nod from Hermione and Neville. Clearly they thought the same way.

"I think Daphne is the logical choice." Hermione continued "She has O grades, is powerful and an extremely talented duelist."

"Not to mention feared by pretty much every man in this castle." laughed Neville, making the other two chuckle.

"Last year Sirius asked her, against all he believed in, mind you, to attempt to date at least once..." Mathis said with a smirk "The poor girl was unable to because she found no one interesting and because everyone was afraid of her. "

"She had a date with a seventh year ravenclaw, though." stated Hermione, making Mathis snort.

"Which was a failure." he replied "She refused to hear her father about that this year."

The great hall doors opened and a gruff man holding a walking stick entered. He had a strange rotating eye and a wooden leg.

"Ah, students of Hogwarts, allow me to introduce you to your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody." some claps were heard but most were amazed that Mad-Eye Moody, one of the greatest Aurors of the ministry in living memory would be their teacher. Moody sat at the head table and instead of having dinner, he simply drank from his flask.

"Well, we're screwed." said Neville "Mad-Eye is a sadistic bastard who gained fame last war."

"Come on, how bad could it be? " asked Mathis and Neville rolled his eyes.

"Whenever you ask that, something bad happens."

"I'm just saying, even if he force us to cast spells over and over until exhaustion, I can see how that would benefit us."

"You, my friend, are a masochist." replied Neville.

"What kind of teacher do you think he'll be? I can guess he'll focus on the practical course work, since he's an auror. Maybe he'll teach us as they teach aurors? Wouldn't that be too much?"

"Wow, calm down, Mi." asked Neville with a chuckle "I'm sure we'll find out on our first class."

Before Hermione could reply, a small breeze rose in the great hall.

"What was that?" wondered Neville, feeling the breeze on his face "How come there's wind?"

"There shouldn't." replied Hermione "According with Hogwarts: A History, the ceiling shows the weather but that's all."

Matt heard something in the distance, under all the whispers and conversations, something that seemed to be constantly repeating and increasing in volume.

"What the..." he wondered, rising from his seat "Hey, everyone, quiet down, can you hear it?" he asked and surprisingly, people actually made silence.

"nahl... dal... gol" he repeated as he heard the sounds "What's that?" Mathis asked, turning to the head table.

"Mr. Potter, have you done something?" demanded McGonagall, earning an angry glare from Mathis.

"No, professor, I didn't do anything." he replied "However, if you're done accusing me with no proofs, I'd appreciate you to do something." he demanded, as the wind increased and the sound became clearer.

"All students, come towards the head table, please." demanded Dumbledore and the students did it at once, most of them scared with the increasing wind and sound. Hermione and Neville ran along, helping some of the firsties from Gryffindor while Matt stayed behind.

"Matt?" asked Astoria, already near the head table.

"Coming." he replied, turning in her direction.

"Do you know something?" asked Daphne and Mathis shook his head.

"I feel something very powerful but that's it." he replied.

"Students, I ask you to remain calm." said Dumbledore and suddenly, there was a huge flash that blinded everyone, at the same time that the same words were heard once again, in a loud shout: NAHL DAL GOL!

The wind vanished, as did the sound and for some moments, none could see anything and everyone made sure to state it.

"I can't see." someone shouted.

"I'm blind!"

"We all are, shut up." another one said.

"SILENCE!" demanded Dumbledore, his vision already returning.

In front of him, right in front of the great hall doors, a person was standing. He was wearing strange hooded dark robes, and with it plus the distance, it was impossible to see the person's face but by the build, it seemed to be a man. He also wore metallic boots and gauntlets and a cloak that seemed to be made of fur, with a bagpack on his back.

For Matt, the reality was way different. The person before him was a man, he was able to partially see a black beard. The armour the man was wearing seemed like the college novice's robes but black and grey, along with what seemed to be a chain mail under it. He also wore plate boots and gauntlets and Matt could feel the powered runes on it, fuelling the powerful enchantments on each piece of equipment. He was clearly wearing a cloak made of fur, likely a black bear, with a typical leather satchel. His whole clothing had dark red stains, looking as spats of blood, fresh and dry... nothing that some cleaning spells wouldn't fix. He also had some small burnt marks but again, nothing that couldn't be fixed.

He too seemed to be trying to regain his vision, having his right gauntlet on his face. Not that it meant that he was distracted, Matt could sense that he wasn't. The person before them was a battle hardened mage, one not to be trifled with.

"Good evening, my friend. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. May I know your name?"

"Hog...Warts?" the strange man asked.

"Albus, are you sure of what you are doing?" demanded McGonagall, having no reply. The man looked to the large group before him, seeing the fear in their faces. He rose his hands in a sign of peace, which was misinterpreted by Moody.

"Stupefy!"

"NO!" shouted Matt as the newcomer rose a ward before him, where the red light vanished, retaliating with a ice spear in just a moment. Matt jumped in front of the spear and rose his own weak ward, having a short time to charge it. Fortunately, it was more than enough to resist the spear, even if it shattered, throwing Matt on his back.

"STOP!" he demanded as he was falling and as Dumbledore cast a shield in front of the students and Snape made Moody lower his wand.

"Mr. Potter, are you injured?" demanded Flitwick, his wand on his hand, pointing at the newcomer.

"MAT!" demanded Astoria concerned but Mat had already risen.

 _"Don't attack, please."_ Matt asked to the stranger in the imperial dialect and the newcomer was surprised and actually lowered his hand _"There are children here and they are innocent of the grownups stupidities. Please, we are not your enemies."_

"Mr. Potter, what are you saying?" demanded McGonagall, not understanding the language. Matt ignored her.

 _"What is the old woman saying?"_ asked the man.

 _"She's demanding me to translate to her what I am telling you."_ Matt replied.

 _"Are you going to?" the man asked._

 _"Eventually. Are you going to attack us?"_

 _"Not unless you attack me again. You can tell them that."_ Matt translated the man's words and everyone lowered their wands.

 _"Are you from Skyrim?"_ Matt asked and the man nodded _"What can you tell me about a mage from Winterhold called Harren Potter?"_ he asked and his friends looked to him, having understood his brother's name.

 _"For the past four years, until recently, Harren has gone in a never ending quest in search of his brother."_ the man replied, seeing the shock in Matt's face _"I can tell you are him."_

 _"Aye, I am."_ Matt replied, his voice filled with emotion.

"What did he say, Matt?" asked Astoria, approaching Matt and hugging his arm, feeling the change in his emotions.

"He said... he said that my brother has spent the last four years in a never ending quest to find me." he replied, looking down with a small smile as Astoria turned to her sister, who was shocked.

 _"Do you know him? Personally?"_ Matt asked and the man nodded _"What can you tell me about him? And why recently? What happened to him?"_

The man removed his hood, revealing his face. He had a dark shaggy beard, long hair that reached his neck and a silver circlet on his head. Matt could feel magic radiating from it, even if he had no idea about its nature. The man smiled, a smile that went from his lips to his green eyes _"A good thing has happened to him, Mathis Potter. Your brother has found you, at long last."_ Matt widened his eyes, dropping his mouth.

 _"W-What?"_ Matt asked.

 _"Don't you recognize me, little brother?"_ the man replied with a chuckle.

 _"Harren..."_ Matt whispered, a tear falling from his eyes.

"What? Matt, what's wrong? What did he say?" asked Astoria, concerned about her boyfriend.

"Mr. Potter, is everything all right?" Dumbledore asked, frowning as he noticed the change on the boy.

"HARREN!" Matt shouted, running to his brother, hugging him. Harren laughed and held his little brother tight, twirling him around as the both laughed. Had he looked back to the Hogwarts population, he would have seen very surprised people, his friends most of all.

"Harren?" mumbled McGonagall "Albus, could it be true? Could it be Harry Potter?"

"So it would seem, Minerva." Dumbledore replied, considering his chances. For the past years he had been forced to hear several stories about the elder Potter. If they were true, the light side could benefit from him and he could most definitively help to guide Mathew Potter back in the right path.

"Harry?" whispered Daphne, disbelief clear in her voice. She was heard only by Astoria, who herself was surprised, looking at the taller and shaggy bearded brother. She too had heard the stories and Harry did seem impressive when he showed up... although now he just seemed a happy teenager.

 _"Well, at least you didn't turn out to be a milk-drinker."_ Harren laughed, taking a good look of his brother, holding him by his shoulders. Matt still had teary eyes but was laughing _"I missed you, little brother."_

 _"I missed you too, big brother."_ Mathis replied, hugging Harren tighter _"I have so many things to tell you, so many to ask you..."_

 _"And you have all the time made by Akatosh for it."_ Harren replied with a grin and Mathis nodded.

 _"But how? How are you here?"_ asked Mathis and Harren closed his eyes with a sad smirk.

 _"I had help, little brother. Let us leave it like that for now."_ he replied sadly and Mathis knew what he meant at once.

" _There is no way for going back? We... you're stuck here?_ "

 _"Yes, I can't use the same path to go back and I don't know of another."_ Harren replied, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder _"But don't see it as we're stuck here. Think of it as a chance for an adventure in a whole new world."_

 _Mathis hesitated._

 _"I... I admit that I am fond of this world and my friends... but I'd like to see the snowy peaks of Winterhold again... hunt in Falkreath forest... go to the Rift pools... visit the stone city... climb the seven thousand steps, visit Jorrvaskr... and that was in Skyrim..."_ Mathis sighed and lowered his eyes. No tears fell but his brother could feel the disappointment.

 _"Maybe we can find another way to go back."_ Harren said, trying to raise his brother's spirits, squeezing his shoulder _"Do you regret it that much? Being forced to come here?"_ asked Harren and Mathis didn't find it in his heard to say yes. He turned to Astoria and saw everyone looking at the two of them, Astoria clearly looking concerned and torn, wanting nothing more than comfort him. At her side, Daphne seemed to be conflicted and confused, looking at Harren. Mathis wanted to laugh but refrained from it and both Neville and Hermione were looking at the two of them, confused over what was happening. They were his best friends, his family. And he loved them all.

 _"No."_ he replied with a soft smile to Astoria _"I may not be able to do all I wanted to do in Skyrim and Tamriel... but I have very good reasons to be happy in here. Besides, if you're here now, then everyone I care about is in this world... home is where the heart is, right?"_

 _"I'm glad you see it that way."_ Harren replied, noticing the agitated dark haired girl to whom his brother was looking " _Who is she?"_

 _"That's Tori. She's my..."_ Mathis thought for a moment. There was no word to translate girlfriend _"She's the girl I'm courting."_

 _"Tori as in little Tori?"_ Harren asked, laughing at Mathis confirmation.

 _"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?"_ asked Mathis with a grin, dragging him by the arm to Daphne, waving at her _"Do you remember Daphne?"_

Daphne gulped, watching Harry approaching her and the moment Matt said her name, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, waiting for his reaction.

 _"Daphne?"_ whispered Harren, his eyes widening in recognition. Daphne jumped him, hugging him by the neck, not holding tears of joy. For everyone in Hogwarts it was a shock, seeing Daphne Greengrass-Black showing emotions like that, jumping a boy and crying in his shoulder. Matt put his arm around Astoria's waist and just grinned.

"I missed you, so much..." Daphne nearly sobbed, hugging Harry tighter.

 _"I really missed you, Daphy... You truly became a beautiful woman."_ Harry replied, not understanding what Daphne had said and knowing very well that she wouldn't understand him "I... lost... you?" Harren tried to say in the broken english he could remember, turning to Matt in support and feeling Daphne easing her hug in confusion. Matt just rose an eyebrow.

 _"Do you mean you missed her?"_ asked Matt and Harren nodded.

 _"Yes, how do I say that?"_

"I missed you." replied Matt and Harry repeated it, feeling Daphne's hug tighten even more.

"Mr. Potter." demanded Dumbledore, deciding to intervene, already not fond of what he was seeing. Daphne let go of Harren and smiled at him, receiving a smile back.

 _"And who's the whitebeard?"_ asked Harren, unconsciously glaring at Dumbledore.

 _"That's Dumbledore. He's the headmaster of Hogwarts, I suppose it's the equivalent of the archmage... he's also a meddling and manipulating old man and the responsible for my kidnapping."_

Harren's demeanor changed at once and he glared at the old man.

 _"No, don't attack him."_ begged Mathis, holding is brother. Daphne and Astoria just widened their eyes, seeing the eldest Potter changing completely _"He's too powerful in this world and a lot of people follow him. If you attack him, his followers will fight you back and try to capture you and send you to prison."_ Mathis saw his brothers hands glowing purple and he knew at once that he intended to use conjuration to conjure reinforcements. Everyone saw the glare Harren gave Dumbledore and many flinched, some even moving away from it.

 _"I want you to translate something for me." Harren said and Mathis nodded._

"Dumbledore, my brother has something to tell you." he announced, glaring at headmaster, who looked surprised but tried his best to maintain his grandfatherly demeanor. He tried to say something but Mathis continued to speak, translating his brother's words "know this, archmage of Hogwarts, I hold you responsible for my brother's kidnapping four years ago." Matt translated and everyone could see the scowl in Harren's face. Those who had never believed in the kidnapping story now had no chance not to. However, it was Harren's magicka flowing around him that ultimately convinced everyone and prevented anyone from speaking "That been said, one day, you will explain yourself to me. For the meantime, I need to... _WHAT?"_

 _"You heard me."_ Harren replied with a smirk.

 _"Are you out of your mind?"_ Matt asked, too shocked.

 _"This is a school, isn't it? If we're going to live here, I need to learn about this place. Where better?"_

 _"With uncle Padfoot, aunt Anne or uncle Moony."_ replied Matt at only and Astoria, Daphne, Neville and Hermione understood the names, confused as much as everyone else about the brother's conversation.

 _"Still, I'd prefer to be here... for obvious reasons."_ Harren replied, looking to his brother, who sighed.

 _"Fine."_ he replied, turning back to Dumbledore "As I was saying, my brother is aware of the OWLS and NEWTS and wants to join Hogwarts." that was of Dumbledore's interest, as was to many girls'. However, Matt and Harren weren't done yet "My brother also says that he's credited a master of... _really?_ " Matt asked, gaping.

 _"Yes..."_ Harren replied with a nod and a chuckle. Astoria nudged Matt for him to continue "Sorry, I was just ... wow..."

"What?" asked Astoria and Matt grinned.

"My brother is a credited master of Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction and Illusion magicka. Restoration, not so much." Those who were close to Matt knew very well what that meant and couldn't help but feel impressed.

"But of course." replied Dumbledore in a grandfatherly smile "We will be delighted to have Harry Potter join Hogwarts, as he should have done seven years ago." Dumbledore replied and Matt scowl, as did Harren after the translation "Unfortunately, considering the situation, I regret to inform you that young Harry will have to start at first year, we simply can't have him join with seventh years."

"WHAT?!" shouted Matt and Daphne, although for different reasons. Daphne was for shock and Matt shouted for anger towards Dumbledore, who blatantly disregarded Harren's titles and skills without a second thought.

 _"Fine. Ask him if there is some sort of examination I can take to access my skill level."_ asked Harren after the translation, much to his brother's surprise.

 _"But... are you sure?"_ asked Matt and Harren just looked at him.

 _"Yes, I am, Mathis. Trust me."_ Harren replied and Matt sighed, translating everything, much to Dumbledore and some of the teachers delight.

"I suppose we can manage some sort of examination." Dumbledore replied with a smile "But for now, we have to sort you, Mr. Potter."

Everyone returned to their seats as Fawkes, the headmaster's phoenix flamed into the great hall, carrying the sorting hat its talons.

 _"What in oblivion is that?"_ exclaimed Harren, seeing Fawkes flaming in _"Is that some kind of a magical flaming chicken?"_

 _"That's a phoenix."_ his brother replied after laughing, explaining him what a phoenix was.

"Mr. Potter, we shall sort you now." said McGonagall, carrying the sorting hat. Harren just looked at her as if she had a second head.

 _"What does she want and why is she carrying that old hat?"_

 _"That's the sorting hat. Put it in your head and it will see your memories and suit you to a house."_

 _"All right..."_ Harren mumbled, picking the hat from McGonagall and putting it on his head. Suddenly, there was silence and quiet in the great hall.

"So, Harry Potter has finally come to Hogwarts." the hat said, only to receive a blank look from Harren.

 _"What? I don't understand you."_

"For Merlin sake, Albus. Couldn't you use the same method you used with the younger Potter to teach this one to communicate? "

"I regret to say that I never thought of that, my friend. Alas, I could not, we used a potion and we currently have none available."

"Then you should make one." the hat replied with a huff.

 _"What's the hat saying and are you sure it's not daedric enchanted?"_

 _"In this world, no one has even heard of daedra... and there are several stories of the hat being created by Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders."_

 _"_ Holy Merlin!" the hat shouted, having the full attention of everyone. The hat only mumbled in amazement as it sorted through Harren's memories.

 _"Is it supposed to take this long?"_ asked Harren and Matt shrugged.

 _"Mine took some time, too."_

Time started to pass, and the hat said nothing but mumbles, frustrating many people.

"Hat?" asked Dumbledore "Is there something wrong?"

"Not now, Albus, I'm learning this young man's language." the hat replied, shocking everyone "I saw the memories when he was taught and I am trying to understand it."

"Shouldn't you be sorting him?" demanded McGonagall, only to receive a huff in reply.

"This young man is a perfect match to all the houses." the hat said, surprising everyone and making Matt grin "He's brave, chivalrous, cunning, ambitious, hardworking, loyal to his friends, intelligent and power-hungry. He'd thrive on either house."

"Then, maybe Gryffindor with his brother, who can better help him?" suggested Dumbledore hopefully, ignoring the complaints from many in the hall.

"Let me think about that for a while... meanwhile, I think I understand the language... I'm going back to a memory of a lecture given by this young man about alteration magicka, which seems to be much similar to transfiguration."

"A lecture given by him?" snorted Snape, as McGonagall and many other teachers and students gaped.

"This boy is indeed a master of transfiguration, Severus. In fact, as Mr. Potter the younger has mentioned, Alteration Magic is a much broader theme than Transfiguration. I can verify that this young man would be able to take a NEWT in Transfiguration, Charms and maybe even DADA, if he understood English, that is, by simply deconstruct a spell and understand it at its lowest level." the hat revealed, shutting up everyone "In fact, add Arithmancy to the list, as well. He's also a master of runes, runic arrays and enchanting but his runes aren't the same as ours and he would fail Herbology because the plant life is different, Potions because their methods for brewing are quite different and we have far more diverse potions."

Snape couldn't hold a smirk. At least the Potter spawn failed at his subject.

"Merlin's beard, is that a dragon?" the hat shouted out of nowhere, confusing everyone. After some moments, the hat spoke again "Gryffindor. Definitively Gryffindor, there can be no doubts. Put him in Gryffindor."

Gryffindor clapped and cheered and everyone else groaned, both for loosing someone who was so talented and powerful and for realizing that now there were two Potters in Hogwarts, practicing the same type of magic.

Neville and Hermione clapped for their friend, cheering Harren and Matt. The brothers were finally reunited. Astoria clapped as well, happy for Matt, who had his brother in the same house. Daphne clapped with a smile but she secretly hoped Harry would become a snake. Matt, however, just looked to his brother, a questioning look in his face.

 _"Dragons?"_ he asked and his brother just nodded.

 _"Long story, little brother. A very long story."_

· **GOL - Earth in the language of Dragons. I changed the shout used by Tsun to send the Dovahkin back to Earth(Hogwarts) instead of Skyrim.**

· **Yes, Harry is the Dovahkin**

· **If you are confused, the weird spells used are spells from the elder scrolls games. I used spells from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Ragnos

/

Disclaimer

I own nothing of the Harry Potter franchise.

Glad to clear that up

/

 **We met them through Sly and Gryff's travels. The Ragnos, the aspiring Overlord Lord Markus Ragnos and Lady Hadriana Ragnos née Potter, wielders of an unexplainable power and the most powerful wizard and witch in the world. What was their story? How did they came to be? What lured a daughter of the most ancient and most noble house of Potter, a reputed light family, sister of the Boy-Who-Lived, to the darkness? And where does Harry Potter enters in this story? (He doesn't, Hadrian "Harry" James Potter died at age five in this story).**

 **Chapter 1**

The young woman walked into the street, taking a glance of all the houses around her. The gardens were neat, the grass cut and the flowers were blossoming in their gantries. The gardens were much alike between them, as were the houses, with three stories high, counting the attic.

The young woman walked by number one, Private Drive and passed by the house. She felt her heart beating faster in her chest, as she passed by number two and three. When she stood before number four, the young woman gulped and shivered. She stood there for some moments, her silky black hair falling loose by her back, dressed with a plain white long sleeve shirt with a thin short sleeve black sweater on top of it. She also wore dark blue jeans that enhanced her slender figure with a pair of black snickers, giving her a very casual and normal look that no one would suspect. All who looked at her would see a young woman of seventeen years old, beautiful and sexy, as many had referred to her.

She looked at the house and her green eyes flared for a moment, while her right hand closed itself on a fist on her side. She was nervous, more than she had ever been and she didn't like it. It made her feel vulnerable.

The woman walked through the path to the house and pressed the door bell, taking care to put a smile on her face, vanishing all signs of nervousness. She waited patiently for some moments until she heard the door open. In the doorway was a plump blond woman, who should be in her fifties. The woman smiled affectionately when she saw the young woman who had press the bell.

"Good morning. Can I help you?" asked the woman.

The young woman widened her eyes in surprise. That was not what she was expecting.

"Hi, good morning, I am looking for one Mrs. Petunia Dursley. Would you be her?" asked the younger woman, silently hoping the older woman would answer positively.

"Dursley?" the woman asked, confused, destroying the hopes of the younger woman, not that she noticed, as she was frowning, as if she was remembering something "Oh, I remember. Maybe you mean the previous owners of the house. I'm so sorry dear, my name is Natalie Thompson. My husband and I bought this house five years ago, from a Mister Vernon Dursley, actually."

"Oh..." was the young woman reply. The disappointment was clear in her voice and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"I believe that they left for another country, as I think they were in a hurry to sell the house because Mr. Dursley had a promotion abroad and had a time limit to be there." the woman said "May I ask why you ask for them?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself." The younger woman replied, putting a pleasant smile on her lips "My name is Hadriana and Mrs. Dursley is my aunt, from my mother's side. Mum and auntie had a huge fight a couple of years before I was born and split but now my mum has been missing my aunt. I've seen my mum crying over a picture of both of them and I thought to arrange a reunion." replied Hadriana, adopting a disappointed look "I managed to track her into this address, but..." she said with a sad smile, noticing the older woman's smile.

"That is a very beautiful thing of you, my dear, to reunite your dear mother and her sister. I'm sorry if I can't help you more, but maybe you can ask around if any of the neighbours has a contact you may use. Maybe in the parish, even. I got the impression that the Dursleys were kind and liked around Private Drive and I doubt that they haven't left contacts to their friends."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, I'll do just that. I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you and thank you for your help." replied Hadriana with a beaming smile.

"Not at all, dear. If you want, I can help you by making some phone calls to my church group." the older woman offered with a smile "You can come in, if you'd like. I have tea and homemade cookies as well."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, but I'll decline your offer, I hope you understand, but I have a bit of a schedule to uphold, you know, this being a surprise for my mother, who thinks that I'm in London with some friends and I don't want to worry her, nor do I like to lie to her. I did promise to be at home around seven for dinner. I'm terribly sorry."

"Not at all, dear, I think it's a very nice thing you are doing. Maybe you should visit Mrs. Figg, at number seven. She lives alone with her cats but she is very friendly with everyone. Maybe she knows something."

Hadriana beamed.

"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, I'll do that. Again, I'm sorry for disturbing you. Have a nice day." Hadriana said, waving to the woman and turning back the path, leaving Mrs. Thompson smiling.

"What a nice girl." the older woman said to herself, entering the house and closing the door.

Hadriana lost the smile as soon as she turned her back to Mrs. Thompson and walked as fast as she could without raising suspicions. She had lost the smile and she was now scowling, mostly for herself, closing her hand in a fist in anger.

She arrived quickly at number seven and pressed the doorbell, taking once again the smile into her lips. It was a necessary mask that she needed to better manipulate people.

She heard cats meowing and in a couple of moments, a woman opened the door, revealing herself as being an aged woman, far more than Mrs. Thompson. This woman should be in her sixties and was dressed with a bathrobe on top of her sleeping gown and had a sleeping cap protecting her hair.

"Can I help you?" the older woman asked, not recognizing the younger woman. One of her cats, a fat brown one walked outside, passing by Hadriana without a care.

"Good morning, would you be Mrs. Figg?" the older woman nodded and Hadriana smiled "Hello, my name is Hadriana. I am sorry for disturbing you but I was told that you might be able to help me. You see, I am looking for my aunt, Mrs. Dursley, who should live at number four but accordingly with Mrs. Thompson, my aunt and her family moved away five years ago. I was wondering if you would have a contact you might provide me to contact her. I never met her before, my mother and her had a huge fight before I was born but my mother misses her and I thought to arrange a reunion between the two for my mother's birthday." Hadriana said in a row, keeping her teenager mask and her smile on.

Mrs. Figg looked at Hadriana, as if she was evaluating her. For the younger woman's surprise, Mrs. Figg scowled at her.

"Petunia is your aunt and your name is Hadriana?" Mrs. Figg asked with anger in her voice. Hadriana nodded, noticing the anger in both the older woman's face and voice and in that moment, she knew she had found what she wanted.

"What is your last name, girl?" asked Mrs. Figg, trembling in anger, as far as Hadriana could see. The younger woman dropped the act, her green eyes lost the warmth and joy they had moments before and became cold and angered. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a serious facial expression, tending for a scowl.

"Potter." Hadriana spat in anger, as if she was disgusted with the name.

Mrs. Figg nodded in anger.

"You've got a lot of nerve to come here ." Mrs. Figg said in an angered whisper, filled with anger and hate directed to Hadriana "Get out from my property, you whore."

Mrs. Figg attempted to close the door in Hadriana's face but the younger woman reacted faster and drew a wand from a disillusioned holster in her right arm. With a wave from it, the door opened again and Mrs. Figg saw herself at the wrong end of Hadriana's wand.

"I don't think so, muggle." spat Hadriana, entering the house and closing the door behind her, ignoring the cats. Her focus was all in the older woman, who, for Hadriana's surprise, wasn't trembling in fear.

"You don't seem surprised with my wand or my magic." mused Hadriana with a smirk "Let me guess, you're a squib."

"Better a squib than a treacherous waste of magic like you and your family, Potter." sneered Mrs. Figg "At least my parents didn't abandon me while I was a child."

Once again, Hadriana was sure she was in the right place.

"Did you met Hadrian? Did you met my brother?" she asked, her tone softening and hopeful, although she didn't lower her wand.

"What do you care, Potter?" the woman asked in anger, not noticing the changes in Hadriana's tone "Didn't you and yours do enough to him?"

"ANSWER ME!" shouted Hadriana, scaring the cats who were looking at the two women. The older woman noticed then the tears in Hadriana's eyes and for a moment, wasn't sure how to react. The tears seemed real, at least.

"Yes, I knew him." Mrs. Figg replied with a nod and a whisper, she too shedding a tear "We was a kind boy, polite and caring. I would baby sit him from time to time, when his aunt and uncle "Mrs. Figg spat the words" wanted time alone. I never saw the signs until it was too late, but I realized that Hadrian was abused by his so called family. I thought he was just kind and helpful by trying to help in the kitchen and cleaning but then I saw the bruises of the beatings and I connected everything. He was abused and forced to work for them. He was so young and he was treated as a slave. I tried to have him in my home as much as I could but sometimes THEY would tell me that he was occupied, playing with his cousin or they needed him for something. There was a time I didn't see him for two whole weeks and when I did, he came even more scared and fragile.

I tried to call the social services but they never came, don't ask me why. I couldn't call the police because I had no proofs and Hadrian refused to speak about it. I tried, God knows I tried but then, almost a year after he appeared here, he vanished without a trace and I could tell the Dursley's had something to do with it because they were overjoyed.

The last time I saw him was in the beginning of October in '82. He was leaving my house and do you know what he told me? "I don't want to go back there." Mrs. Figg was crying, not noticing Hadriana crying as well, her wand lowered and a hand covering her mouth, trying not to sob.

"I went to the police in the end of October because I thought strange he hadn't been seen for more than three weeks and reported him missing. Do you know what they told me? There were no records of an Hadrian Potter living at number four Private Drive. The Dursleys told everyone that the boy was taken by someone closer of kin but I didn't believe them. I knew they had done something but I never found proof..." only then Mrs Figg noticed Hadriana, who had fell on her knees and dropped her wand. She was sobbing, her hands covering her face and between sobs she muttered several times "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm sorry."

Mrs. Figg stood there in shock. She knew Hadrian's nickname and when the young woman before her told her her own name, she made the required connections. She was angered and wanted nothing to do with the people that had abandoned that sweet boy all those years ago.

Now, there she was, Hadrian's sister, sobbing on the floor, calling for her brother and asking for his forgiveness. Arabella Figg didn't know what to think anymore. For almost thirteen years she had hated Hadrian Potter's family and now, one of them had appeared in her home, asking for Hadrian at wand point, clearly regretting all that had been made to the child.

"I didn't abandon him!" shouted Hadriana among her sobs, desperation clear in her voice "They took him from me. They told me he was dead. They-they lied to me, our own family lied to me."

Mrs. Figg was able to understand that the girl was speaking the truth and decided to approach her carefully and hug her, making Hadriana sob even more.

"He's ... he's dead, I know..." Hadriana said, between sobs, shocking Mrs. Figg "We were twins and had a bond, a magical bond... I felt it, everything. Every beating, every lash, every abuse those monsters gave my big brother... I felt his pain. I tried to comfort him, but I wasn't able to do it through the bond. I also felt some small joys, very small joys but one day, the bond weakened so much that I was unable to feel him unless I really focused on him. It was in October, when you said he disappeared." sobbed Hadriana and Mrs. Figg hugged her tighter. She was a squib but she knew about bonds. Her parents had been poor pure bloods who lived between both worlds, with no prejudices on muggles and they had instructed her on some points of wizarding culture.

"Then... then, on Halloween, I felt him experiencing an excruciating pain and a great joy and then, nothing. The bond was broken and that meant that he was dead." Hadriana sobbed more and Mrs. Figg held her on her arms.

"Did he feel me over the bond? Ever?" Hadriana asked with hope, her bloodshot eyes focusing on Mrs. Figg.

"I'm sorry, child, he never told me anything about a bond." confessed Mrs. Figg, biting her lip. Hadriana saw her reaction and it took her only a moment to understand the reason of Mrs. Figg reaction.

"He hated me." Hadriana wailed, sobbing even more out of desperation. She had been prepared for such a possibility but to actually have that possibility proved was much more painful than everything she could have imagined "He b-believed I-I had abando-ned him, t-too."

"Yes, child, he did." replied Mrs. Figg, in a regretful tone, feeling Hadriana's sobs shattering her own heart.

"HARRY!" sobbed Hadriana again, her tears flowing down her face "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, don't hate me... please..."

When Hadriana finally calmed down, almost one hour later, Mrs. Figg led her to a couch and made her sit, while she prepared a tea. Hadriana was still sniffing and Mrs. Figg felt pity for the young woman. She appeared to be strong but apparently, her twin brother was her weak spot.

"Drink this." the older woman said, extending Hadriana a cup. The younger woman took it without a word and drank some of it.

"Why now?" asked Mrs . Figg, when she was sure that Hadriana was calmer "Why did you show up only now?"

"I've being trying to find information on my brother ever since I was six... I couldn't accept him gone. I refused to believe it, even though I knew and had the proof of the bond." Hadriana drank some tea, before continuing.

"Do you know Hogwarts?" at the nod of the older woman, Hadriana continued "I hoped I was wrong, I hoped to be reunited with my brother in school, to see him again and prove to my good for nothing, blood traitor family they were wrong about him, but it never happened. Then, last week, I was checking some old ledgers, from 1981 and saw a payment of ten thousand galleons, nearly fifty thousand pounds, made to a certain Mrs. Petunia Dursley, in November." Hadriana sighed again "I knew I had it, I knew I had discovered where my brother had been taken and I tracked Petunia into number four, Private Drive, her last known address. Apparently, she moved away five years ago, correct?"

"Yes, I think they went to the continent, although I'm not sure where." replied the woman, looking at Hadriana's wand, which was on the coffee table "What exactly did you hoped to achieve if you found them?"

Hadriana's reply came with a sneer and a hateful glare.

"Pay them back the sweet ministrations they gave my brother." Mrs. Figg looked to Hadriana and somehow, couldn't find herself to care about what could have happened.

For some moments, none of the women spoke, the only sound heard being the meowing and purring of the cats.

"At first, he spoke of you with love and tears." said Mrs. Figg, attracting Hadriana's attention "He believed you had all died. He told me all about you, how smart you were, how you could count high at four years old, how you pouted when you wanted something from him... " Hadriana's eyes filled with tears again and she bit her bottom lip not to sob again "Then, one day, he came to me and started to cry. He told me that his uncle had told him that his family had abandoned him because they didn't want him anymore. He begged me to tell him it was a lie and I tried to but he didn't believe me. Maybe he was already convinced of it, maybe I wasn't convincing enough... He looked at me, tears in his emerald eyes, much like yours and spoke words full of hate, something I thought to be impossible to hear from a four years old: _I hate them. Mummy, daddy, Richie, grampa, nana, unca Paddie, unca Moony, unca Wormy... and Hadria, most of all, I hate her for abandoning me._ "

Hadriana's tears fell again. Her hate for their family had only increased after Mrs. Figg story. Because of the Potters, her brother had hated her and could she blame him?

"Who's Richie?" asked Mrs. Figg, trying to distract Hadriana. She didn't know, but her question only served to anger Hadriana.

"My-our younger brother, Richard Potter, acclaimed by all wizarding Britain as the boy-who-lived, defeater of the dark lord Voldemort, at age one." replied Hadriana with spite and a scowl "He's a good for nothing brat, with illusions of grandeur, illusions fed by my blood traitor family and his legions of fans. And more important, he is a fraud."

"Dark Lord who?" asked Mrs. Figg, not recognizing the name. The last Dark Lord she knew about had been Grindewald, while she was a young girl and her parent's had been alive "What do you mean, a fraud?"

Hadriana was pleasantly surprised.

"You don't know who Voldemort was? Did you abandon the wizarding world?" asked Hadriana, receiving a nod.

"I abandoned the wizarding world when my parents died in '43. Back then, they talked about the Dark Lord Grindewald but I cared more about the muggle side of the great war." Hadriana nodded.

"Voldemort started to attack in the seventies and he rallied a great group of supporters, known as Death Eaters. They wanted to kill muggles, squibs and muggleborns. The way they saw it, only purebloods should have magic, although halfbloods were allowed as well, although saw as second class citizens. They started a war until 1981, when for some reason, Voldemort himself attacked our home during Halloween, trying to kill Richard, my younger brother. The official story is that while my parents were stunned, Voldemort attacked my brother and somehow, my brother's magic made Voldemort's spell rebound and kill him, making Richard a hero for everyone."

"You said, however, that he was a fraud." said Mrs. Figg, noticing the anger in Hadriana's eyes.

"I was there and I saw everything, although no one believed in me. Richard did nothing but wail while HARRY faced Voldemort, standing between him and me, protecting me and Richard. I was so sacred, trying to hide behind Harry and Voldemort cast a spell on my big brother. Not any spell, it was the killing curse, the deadliest spell there is and to which there is almost no defence. Somehow, my brother..." Hadriana sobbed again, hiding her face in her hands again for some moments, gaining courage to continue "Harry's magic reacted and rebound the curse. I don't know how or why, I was just hugged to Harry from behind him, crying in fear while he was... I only heard the screams, Voldemort's and my brother's and then, I fainted. When I woke up, days later, my brother Richard was the saviour of the world and Harry was dead, or at least that's what they told me. I didn't have heart to correct them, I was so broken because of Harry... and then it was too late. I swore to myself that one day, I would make things right, I would reveal the truth and make Harry the hero he truly was..."

Mrs. Figg had tears in her eyes.

"He never told me any of that." she said in a whisper "I never knew he had magic, had I known, I would attempt to take him to someone with magic... I would have tried..."

"It's too late for that, now." replied Hadriana with a cold mask, picking her wand and placing it on her holster again "Thank you for telling me everything, Mrs. Figg. It meant a lot to me. Thank you for loving my older brother, thank you for trying to help him. You may not approve, but I swear to you, I will make the Dursleys and my family pay for what they did to Harry." Hadriana got up and walked to the door, intending to apparate from the entry hall.

"Wait." called Mrs. Figg again, getting up from her seat and going to a shelf, taking a photo album. Mrs. Figg passed some pages and found what she was looking for. She took the picture from the album and gave it to the younger woman, who accepted it in confusion.

When Hadriana saw the picture, her heart almost stopped. It was a picture of her brother, looking exactly the same as she remembered him all those years ago. Small, thin, scruffy raven hair and green eyes, much like hers. However, his eyes were sad and broken or at least it was what Hadriana thought. Tears fell again while her fingers tried to caress her brother's image.

"Keep it. I have my memories." said Mrs. Figg in a whisper "You need it."

"Thank you." was Hadriana's reply, soft and in a whisper, turning back again.

"Hadriana..." called Mrs. Figg again. Hadriana turned back again, still in a daze.

"Yes?"

"Make them pay." asked the older woman with a scowl. The older woman's reaction brought Hadriana back from her daze, adopting a similar look.

"Oh, I intend to." replied Hadriana with a cruel smirk, pocketing the picture. With a crack, Hadriana left number seven, Private Drive.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Last of the Line

/

Disclaimer

I own nothing of the Harry Potter franchise.

Glad to clear that up

/

It was the last day of summer, the eve of returning to Hogwarts. To celebrate, the Potter family had decided to throw a pool party to all their closest friends, the Blacks, the Lupins and the Greengrasses.

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Charles Greengrass sat at a table by the poolside, playing poker. The new marauders, as they were known in their circle were having their fun, all of them in shorts with a bottle of firewhisky in the table. Their respective wives, Lilly Potter, Andrea Black, Lucy Lupin and Caroline Greengrass were lying in lounge chairs, having their own conversations, all of them wearing bikinis, having managed to convert Caroline Greengrass, a pureblood witch to wear it. Lucy Lupin caressed the bulge in her belly often, ready to leave the sun should she feel sick because of the heat or the sun... the woes of pregnancy.

In the pool, their children were having their fun.

Rose Potter, the youngest Potter was with Astoria Greengrass and Cassie Black in the pool, talking of whatever twelve year old girls talked, with an occasional swim across the pool, a chuckle and a sigh directed at both Daphne and Harry, their elders.

Harry Potter, the second born son of the Potters, was running along the ledge, carrying his betrothed, the Greengrass heiress Daphne Greengrass in his back, both fourteen year old teens laughing. Harry jumped into the pool, with Daphne still on his back. She cried during the jump but after coming up, she laughed, kissing Harry and making the younger girls sigh.

"Oi, I'll have none of that in the pool." alerted Andrea Black with a laugh, making the fourteen year old teens break the kiss and glare at the older woman.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, aunt Andy." replied Harry with a mock glare "Put your mutt to work if you want some too." Daphne laughed, as did the other three women. Andrea Black mock glared at her nephew.

"You cheeky brat, I ought to put you on my lap and spank you like I used to." she replied.

"No thanks, your mutt may find it exciting but I don't think that's for me." replied Harry again and this time, they all laughed. Daphne embraced Harry from behind and whispered something to his ear, making him smirk. He turned to her and picked her up from the waist.

"Now that I may think about." he laughed, making Daphne giggle. The four women just smiled, watching the two teens so madly in love playing in the pool.

"Whenever I see those two, I can't help it but be happy and grateful that my daughter has someone like Harry in her life." whispered Caroline, sitting on her chair with a smile.

"You're welcome." replied a new man's voice from behind.

"Was it something important, darling?" asked Lilly, turning to her oldest son, Alexander Potter, who came from inside the house in his shorts and bare chest. Much like his father and brother, he had the Potter dark hair but instead of having it wild and untameable, he had it neck length and tamed, much like Lilly's. Not only that, while his younger brother was almost a copy of James with Lilly's eyes and his sister was almost a copy of his mother, Alexander was a mix between both parents, with his father's brown eyes.

Three years had passed since Charles Greengrass approached the Potters concerning an old marriage contract between both houses, written to marry a daughter of house Greengrass with a son of house Potter. While the contract was old and valid, Charles had intended to null the thing, not liking the idea to force his daughter to marriage. However, despite James agreement to void it, it proved useless, since there was no way to do it. A marriage had to take place. It was Alex's idea to make the match between Daphne and Harry, who were both of the same age. The two teens barely knew each other from school or other social events, since Harry was a Gryffindor and Daphne a Slytherin and none of them liked the idea, although for different reasons. Alex suggested to put the two teens in a locked room and force them to talk among themselves and start to know each other. He even suggested to allow them to use their wands, just if they needed to release some steam.

Of course, none of the parents liked the idea, but it was the only way they had to try to prevent their children to despise each other... or making them despise each other even more.

In the first fifteen minutes, they could hear the shouting between Daphne and Harry, even being one floor and several rooms away. Then, the spell fire was heard and both Lilly and Caroline wanted run to the room and stop their children, before they hurt each other, or worst. It was hard to convince them but they stayed put, trying to ignore the noise, trying to make conversation that for some reason, always went back to the contract that none wanted. Both mothers almost started a fight between the two, as well. Caroline had spoke against the contract, forcing her daughter to marry Harry. Lilly understood it as an attack on Harry and as the lioness she was, she defended her son, stating that Daphne should feel lucky to marry Harry because she wouldn't find a better boy anywhere else. Of course, Caroline interpreted it badly as well and the two ladies had to be immobilized, to prevent more problems. Then, nothing was heard from the room where Harry and Daphne were. Their concerns vanished when the house-elf Mippy popped in the room, informing them that Master Harry had requested camomile tea with biscuits for two.

Being camomile tea Daphne's favorite, everyone wondered if the two children had reached an agreement, which in fact, they had. Sometime later, Harry and Daphne went for a walk in the gardens, still talking and much to everyone's relief, in each others arms. That had been the beginning of Harry and Daphne's relationship, the most infamous relationship in Hogwarts, between a lion and a snake.

When it was discovered that Daphne was in a relationship with a Gryffindor, her house didn't like the idea but after discovering that said Gryffindor was Harry Potter, they didn't even care about the contract. Harry Potter was liked by his pears and not only because he was a Potter; he was open minded towards Slytherins, polite, courteous despite the symbol and colour of the student's robes, not a bigot towards Slytherin like many other Gryffindors were and last but not least, Alexander Potter's younger brother.

One could ask "Why does it matter who his brother is?" and in fact, many wondered at the time, why a mere ravenclaw wielded so much power in Slytherin and all houses. The answer wasn't easy or simple, it just was. Every house had reasons to believe Alexander belonged with them and he proved it time and time again, earning the respect of everyone in the school, from teachers to students, light, grey and dark. He was also a powerhouse with his wand and took care of his own, known to taught his brother and a few others he trusted, no matter what house such person was in.

"No, it was Roger asking if I wanted to go for a drink with the guys tonight... I told him no, since we have guests and a family party at hand." he replied.

"Are you sure, honey?" Lilly asked "You've been too stressed this summer, maybe you should unwind a little?"

"I'm fine, mum." he replied with a smile, sitting on the ledge in front of his mother, with his feet in the water "Besides, tomorrow I need t be up early and I would prefer not to fall asleep in the trip, nor be hung over."

"That's right, the head students must give the example and sort all patrols during the train ride." added Caroline while Lilly beamed in pride of her eldest.

"That's right, my baby boy is this year's headboy." she said, making Alex roll his eyes over her happiness.

"It's just a school position, mum." he said.

"But it's a prestigious position, son." she replied, making her friends chuckle "Imagine how many opportunities you will have just because of it. You certainly deserved it."

"Do you have any idea of what you want to do after Hogwarts, Alexander?" asked Lucy Lupin, earning a shrug from the young man.

"Travel first, maybe a mastery." he replied, ignoring the beaming smile of his mother "But I'm sure I will be dragged to the Wizengamot chambers to replace my father, since he's too easily bored."

"And probably Sirius too." Andrea replied with a chuckle, earning a nod from Alex.

"Probably." he replied, turning to the pool and seeing Rose, Astoria and Cassie all looking at him. He entered the water and swam for a bit, ignoring his mother and aunts.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Caroline, only to receive a sigh from Lilly.

"I don't know." she replied, looking at her son, being approached by her daughter "He has been so... quiet, so sad... and he doesn't tell me why." she said "Usually, he leaves the house every day to meet his friends but this summer, he only did it once or twice a week... I have no idea why."

"Maybe his girlfriend broke up with him?" suggested Caroline, making every woman turn to her "What, it could be."

"He would tell me if he had a girlfriend." Lilly replied petulantly, making Andrea and Lucy roll their eyes with a snort "Besides, he showed no interest on any Hogwarts student so far."

"Could be a muggle girl." replied Lucy with a shrug.

"No, I'm sure my son would tell me if there was a girl." Lilly insisted, biting her lower lip _Wouldn't he?_

Andrea, Lucy and Caroline laughed.

"Maybe he got a girl pregnant... it would explain his concern and stress."

"Don't you joke about that, Andrea Black!" Lilly replied with a glare "I'm too young to be a grandmother."

"I'm just saying, darling." replied Andrea with a cocky smile "Besides, I bet that in a few years, those two will start give you two grandchildren to spoil." Andrea said, pointing to Harry and Daphne, who were out of the pool, sitting by the ledge, laughing and kissing.

Lilly and Caroline looked at each other and with a silent agreement, they rose from their seats.

"Daphne Laurel Greengrass!"

"Harry James Potter!"

"What?" asked Harry, not understanding his mother's reaction, while Daphne rose an eyebrow to her own mother.

"Inside the house, now. It's time to have a serious conversation." replied Lilly, walking to both teens.

"Charles, James! You're both needed." Caroline demanded, pulling her husband by the arm, breaking the game.

"What? But honey..." he tried to argue, only to be shut up by a glare. The other three tried to laugh, only to be silenced by the same glare.

"James!" called Lilly, dragging both Harry and Daphne by the arm inside the house.

"Ouch, mum, what the hell? What did we do?" the teen tried to ask.

"We didn't do anything." Daphne replied.

"Not yet, you didn't. But you will and I don't want surprises." replied Lilly, noticing Caroline dragging both Charles and James in front of her.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry looking to Daphne, who had a look as confused as him.

Andrea and Lucy just laughed at their friends predicament.

"Oh, I want to see it... I need to see it." Andrea said with a mischievous smirk, rising from her seat "Lucy, do you want to come?"

"Don't you think that "the talk" is a private moment between parents and children?" Lucy asked, rising an eyebrow to her friend, who sighed.

"Way to ruin my mood, Lucy. Fine." Andrea replied, sitting back on her chair.

"What, are you out of your mind?" Lucy asked with a snort, trying to get up "Help me up, I just wanted to know if you had no problems with it. I know I don't."

Andrea laughed and helped her pregnant friend to get up, both walking happily back into the house, from where a lour "WHAT?" had been heard, uttered by four different voices.

"Our family is insane, isn't it?" asked Rose, swimming to her older brother.

"Aren't all?" he asked, making her giggle. Rose jumped to Alex's back and he rose her to his neck, walking in the pool "Hold tight, Rosey you're going down!"

Rose giggled and squealed like a little girl as Alex leaned back, falling on his back, making Rose fall the same way, luckily in a controlled way, preventing injury. Rose came back up giggling, and noticed the jealous looks from her friends. She just grinned. It was so obvious that the two of them had a huge crush on Alex, added to Astoria crush on Harry as well.

"Hey, Alex, can you come here?" asked Sirius, waving to the older boy. He did, much to the girls dislike and sat at his father's place.

"Alex, there comes a time in all people's life that some actions need to be taken, that some things need to be accepted..." Sirius said, filling Alex's cup with firewhiskey.

"Is he drunk?" Alex asked Remus, his godfather, who just chuckled.

"Maybe a bit." replied Remus with a grin.

"As I was saying..." said Sirius, stopping the conversation and making them focus on him again "Sometimes, people need to accept who and what they are..."

"All right, what the hell are you talking about?" asked Alex.

"Merlin's beard, Alex, I'm trying to be supportive here..." replied Sirius, rolling the words a bit "What I mean is that I support you, no matter what..."

"All right..." Alex replied, noticing that even Remus was curious about what Sirius wanted.

"I want to know something and don't worry, I don't judge, I promise." said Sirius "You're still you and nothing changes, obviously." Alex just nodded, afraid of whatever Sirius Black's drunk mind could come up with "Alex... are you a poofter?"

"What?" gaped Alex while Remus eyes widened, wanting to laugh.

"It's fine if you are, kid. No one minds. I know I don't." replied Sirius, trying to forcefully justify himself "I'm just asking if you are because I've never seen you with a girl, nor have I known about your interests in a girl... so I just wondered if you're interested in men."

"Really?" asked Alex with a grin, noticing the three curious heads looking at him from the pool, not to mention Remus, who had refrain from laughing.

"Yes... It's fine, Alex, you can say it, if you are." replied Sirius once again, putting his hand on his nephew's arm "No one will judge you."

"Paddy?" asked Alex in a whisper, noticing that the girls flinched when they heard him. Astoria felt her heart in her years, that's how nervous she was. Alex had to fight a huge grin "I really don't know how to say this..."

"You can just say it, kid..."

"I'm straight." Alex said and for some moments, no sound was heard around them. Then, it was Remus laughter that broke the silence, followed by Rose, Cassie and Astoria's, while Sirius tried to understand what he heard.

Before Sirius could say anything, a loud voice was heard inside the house.

"Alexander Landon Potter, how dare you give your brother a book about sex?" demanded Lilly Potter, marching from the house towards him. Sirius, Remus and the girls all turned to a nervous Alex.

"Oh shit." he said, getting up from his chair "Mum, I can explain."

"You bet you will." the red head replied and Alex felt doomed.

That night, after a huge barbeque prepared by the house elves, with a lot of laughter and amusement, the Greengrasses left by floo while the Blacks and the Lupins stayed in their guests rooms. The only reason the Greengrass didn't stay was because Astoria still had to finish packing.

During the course of the evening, most of the afternoon events, during which Daphne and Harry got the talk and Alex had to explain himself why he had given Harry a muggle book titled "Myths About Sex", were forgotten. Alex reasoning was that he gave Harry the book because he felt the need to, to make sure his brother was properly informed. In the end of the evening, when the Greengrasses were leaving, Alex saw Daphne pack the book in her bag with a slight blush while Harry had a grin.

"Do you have everything packed?" asked Lilly to her children, to which all nodded "The house will be so lonely without you..."

"So says the Hogwarts' teacher that spends most of her day in the school." replied Rosie with a snort, making Andrea and Lucy laugh.

"Well, I'm going to bed." the pregnant woman said, getting up with the help of her husband "It was a lovely day but I'm exhausted."

"I'll accompany you, darling." Remus said, ignoring the kisses blown by Sirius and James.

"Gits..." the werewolf whispered with a grin.

"I'm going for a shower and then bed." announced Alex, he to rising from his chair.

"Already?" asked Lilly with a raised eyebrow, making her son shrug.

"I know I will have a bad day tomorrow and I think I should be rested." Alex replied, making Harry and Rosie chuckle.

"Oh, honey, of course not. It's not that bad. All the headboy has to do is set the patrols in the train and prepare the patrols for the first week."

"Still, all that trouble for a special bathroom?" wondered Alex with a smirk and Harry knew his brother was taunting their parents "I'm not sure I want to see the place where you two made me."

James and Lilly gaped, their eyes widened in shock, with Lilly blushing hard as a tomato. Sirius and Andrea laughed, as did Harry while Rose and Cassie giggled, hiding their own blush. Alex chuckled.

"Well, you better not do the same, I'm still too young to be a grandmother." his mother replied, still blushing, and everyone turned to her, the children all widening their eyes.

"Really?" asked Alex, still surprised but amused "I was just kidding." he said, having no response but embarrassed blushes from his mother and a grin from his father. Alex laughed.

"Well, now I really don't know if I want to go there." the eldest Potter child said.

"Are you kidding?" asked Harry, still laughing "If anything, it's your personal bathroom. Put there a plate saying "Here, on the year nineteen seventy-six, Alexander Potter was conceived.""

"Harry! Stop with that conversation, young man." admonished Lilly, still blushing.

"Oh, come on, mum, it's not a secret that I was made in Hogwarts." Alex replied with a chuckle, giving her a kiss in the cheek, defusing her embarrassment "You just need to do the math."

"Still, I am very proud of you and I love you but please, don't make me a grandmother now. I'm still too young."

"Fine mum, no babies yet." he replied with a smirk "But don't tell me, tell him." Alex said, pointing to his brother.

"And you, young man!" Lilly turned to Harry, who paled "You're still too young to even think about it, book or not."

"Yes, mam." Harry replied promptly, knowing when to avoid his mother's wrath.

"I'm serious, Harry." she demanded of him.

Alex just left the room after saying his farewells, still laughing of his brother's predicament. He entered his room, painted white with several shelves filled with books and pictures of the several important moments of his life. His first flight, him holding his brother and sister, his first departure to primary school, some pictures of his primary school friends that he had never seen again, his first departure to Hogwarts, standing with his brother and sister, his first win at Quidditch as Ravenclaw, him with his brother and sister on Harry's first departure, the two of them at Rosie's first departure... Most of his most precious memories were in the shelves. He sat at his bed and opened a drawer of his nightstand, taking a picture of himself and a dark haired girl, both of them wearing muggle clothes, smiling and waving at him.

With a sigh, he put the picture in the drawer again and went to the closet, where he picked a towel, leaving the room again for to the bathroom.

He got under the shower and stayed there for some time, feeling the water falling on him. With a sigh, he left his mind wonder.

 _Two months... Where are you?_

Two months with no contact, no letters, no meetings... two months concerned, stressed... what the hell happened?

 _What happened to you?_

Alex got out of the shower, dried himself and walked back to his room, passing by his little sister on his way.

"Good night, Alex." she chirped happily.

"Good night, Rosey." he replied, opening his door "Sleep tight."

"You too, big brother." she replied, opening her door.

Alex entered the room and closed the door behind him, going directly to the closet.

"I'm sorry." Alex heard a whisper coming from the bed. He widened his eyes and turned to the bed, accidentally hitting the closet door with his ankle, making a loud noise.

Alex widened his eyes, recognizing the dark haired girl sat in the middle of the bed, dressed in a long white dress and hugging her legs and her knees. She was wearing no shoes an seemed to have been crying.

"Hey Alex, is everything all right?" Harry asked from the outside of the bedroom with a knock on the door.

"Yeah Harry, everything is fine. I just hit the closet door with my toe." Alex replied, not breaking eye contact with the girl on is bed.

"Ouch. All right, good night." replied Harry.

"Good night, Harry." Alex replied. He twitched his finger and rose a silent ward on the door, making sure no one on the outside heard anything from the inside.

"Lyn." he replied stoically, noticing the bloodshot eyes looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Alexander." she sobbed at his tone, lowering her head to her knees again "I'm sorry."

"Lyn, what's wrong?" he asked, momentarily forgetting his anger towards the girl. The girl, Lyn, didn't reply, sobbing quietly to her knees, making Alex sit next to her and put his arm around her "Lyn... talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I never wanted to do this to you."

"Do what?" Alex asked softly, caressing her shoulder.

"Ruin your life." she said between sobs.

"What are you talking about?" he wondered.

"I saw you today." she whispered "You should be happy with your friends and family and yet, you weren't."

"Of course I wasn't, Lyn. It has been two months since the last time you spoke to me." replied Alex in an angered tone, leaving the bed and starting to walk through the room with only the towel around him "Two months, Lyn. No messages, no owls, no meetings... Your elves didn't reply to my summons, you shut me off from the wards..."

"I told you I needed to finish my training." Lyn replied, earning a glare from Alex.

"That was in June and if I recall, you said one month would be enough." he replied, balling his fists "What about July, Lyn? What about August? What the hell have you been doing that you had to be unreachable?"

Lyn didn't reply.

"Were you finishing your training for three months?" Lyn simply shook her head.

"It ended in the beginning of July." she said in a whisper and Alex almost sneered.

"Then why the silence?" he asked "Why did you ignore me?" Lyn didn't really have a good reason for her actions. She just let her tears flow while looking to her knees "Damn it Lyn! Talk to me."

"I shouldn't have come here." she said, getting out from the bed and getting up. Alex widened her eyes "I'm sorry, Alexander, I just needed to see you one last time."

"What?" he widened his eyes, grabbing her arms before she could do anything "Lyn, look at me."

"Let go of me, Alexander." she ordered, still looking down but Alex could hear the lack of heart in her words.

"Lyn..."

"LET ME GO!" she shouted and Alex was thrown against the closet door by Lyn's magic. He grunted at the impact but wasn't hurt, looking wide eyed at her, who looked appalled and terrified "I... I..."

Lyn just sobbed, falling on her knees and hiding her face behind her palms.

"I don't want you to suffer anymore because of me." she sobbed and he rose an eyebrow.

"Lyn, for the sake of all gods, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I know I made you suffer." she replied between sobs "Stop denying it. I have always been in the shadows, I always wanted to be hidden, never coming out, I forced you to hide our friendship, our love... Ever since you left for Hogwarts the first time, I forced you to keep me as a dirty secret, I forced you to hide what we learnt together, I forced you to hide who you are... I dragged you into my life and I ruined what your life could be. I only brought you pain."

"That's not true, Lyn." he replied in anger, glaring at the girl while getting up "You know damn well that's not true."

"Stop lying, Alex." she shot back "Look me in the eyes and tell me you're happy." He didn't reply, looking down for the first time "See?! You just can't because it's the truth. I made your life miserable. It would be better for you if I had never approached you in primary school..." she said with a snort, hugging herself in sorrow "I'm really sorry, Alexander. I truly hope you can find someone who makes you happy."

"I heard enough of you, Lyn. You will hear me now." he said, grabbing her arm again and sounding authoritative, knowing very well that for all his power, Lyn could wipe the floor with him. The dark haired girl just looked at him, blue bloodshot eyes filled with tears and regret "I have no idea what prompt this idea in your mind and honestly, I don't think I want to know." he said with a glare "But you're right in one thing, I'm not happy." Lyn lowered her eyes "Look at me, Lyn." he growled and she did "It's true that I'm not happy because you've always wanted to be hidden, or because I have to hide our friendship and love, as you said..." he said, his tone softening "But I understood your reasoning, I always did and I always tried to respect your wishes. Even if I didn't like it, I always tried to respect you."

"I know and I am grateful, but it was unfair to you." she replied looking down. Alex used his fingers to lift her chin, making her look at him in the eyes.

"Why?"

"All the time you spent with me in hiding that you could have spent with others, all the times you lied to your family because of me, all the times..." she stopped, hiding a sob and tears.

"Lyn..." he whispered softly "All those things were always my choice. My choice to be with you instead of everyone else."

"It wasn't fair to you." she kept insisting and Alex sighed "You could have been much happier than you are, you could be with a girl that made you happy..."

"I am with a girl that makes me happy." he replied, looking at her with a small smile "And while my relationship with her might not be perfect, I will keep waiting until she's ready, until she's fulfilled all her family obligations and she tells me that we can come forward, that she doesn't need to hide herself anymore."

"Why?" she asked him, tears falling from her eyes "Why would you do that when you could have so much better?"

"Because I want to..." he replied, caressing her face "Because not have you in my life is something I wouldn't even consider, because there is no one better... and because I simply love you too much to lose you."

"But Alex..." her words died in her lips, Alex's crushing hers in a passionate kiss that she reciprocated, hugging him by the neck, not letting him escape. When he broke the kiss, he joined his forehead with hers and sighed.

"I had a vision of us, during my training in June..." Lyn finally told him in a whisper, having Alex's full attention "In the vision, you were alone, always alone... we would meet sometimes but we weren't together... I saw the time past as we grew old, still apart... I saw you waste your life because you were waiting for me until you died alone."

"Cheery." he replied, earning a glare from Lyn.

"It's not funny." she said.

"Of course not." he replied with a sigh "Lyn, I won't even try to understand your training because honestly, I don't think I can." she rolled her eyes "But it was a vision and you know how I feel about visions and prophecies."

"Just because you don't like them, that doesn't mean they aren't real." she replied and Alex snorted. None of them spoke for several moments.

"How did it go?" Alex asked and Lyn lowered her eyes again.

"I failed the test." she confessed, her eyes tearing again. Alex embraced her softly until she felt comfortable enough to stop crying.

"Don't worry, Lyn. Next time you'll do it." he replied with a smile.

"What if I fail?" she whispered.

"You'll try again and again, as many times as you need to succeed and I'll be there to help you, if you let me."

"I don't want to ruin your life, Alex..." she replied, looking at him "I love you too much for it."

"I said it before and I'll say it again, Lyn. Not having you in my life is something I don't want to consider... I simply love you too much to lose you."

"I..." she mumbled, feeling her body being hugged by Alex, starting to feel safe and comfortable. She hugged him back and felt her doubts ease "Alex... can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course you can, Lyn." he replied softly, not even thinking about it, breaking the hug "I have some extra t-shirts if you need them to sleep..."

"No, Alex..." she replied, mumbling some words under her voice. Through magic, her dress fell on the ground, revealing her naked body under it, making Alex raise an eyebrow in surprise "I just need you."

The following morning, much to his surprise, Alex woke up alone in his bed. Lyn was nowhere to be found. When he looked around, he found a message written in his bed stand.

 _My beloved Alexander_

 _It's past three and despite all we did, I just can't sleep, even in your arms. My mind keeps going back to the vision I had and how I failed you..._

 _I don't want it to come to pass, Alexander. I was a fool to even think in leaving you... I want you, I need you too much to lose you as well. I will go back and I WILL succeed._

 _Be safe, my love._

 _Have a good trip back to Hogwarts. I promise that I will try to reach you as soon as possible._

 _With all my love_

 _Lyn_

Alex sighed, getting up from the bed and storing the letter safe in his trunk, together with the picture he kept in the bed stand. Taking the time, he realized that it was still seven in the morning. A good hour to start his day. He did all he needed to do and went down for some morning exercise, meeting his brother already outside.

"Morning Harry."

"Morning Alex." his brother replied between push-ups "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep further." the older Potter replied, starting his warm ups "What about you?"

"I had a nightmare and couldn't go back to sleep." Harry replied.

"Anything disturbing?"

"Yes, I dreamt I was fanboying Longbottom." Harry joked, making Alex laugh loud "Sure, laugh it up, I'm the one that shares a dorm with him and his number one fan."

"Oh, come on. Neville is not that bad." said Alex and Harry agreed.

"No, he isn't." Harry replied with a sigh "But with all the anti-Slytherin and anti-dark crap that goes in his head because of his parents and Weasel, I'm surprised he even talks to me when I deal with Slytherins every day."

"What can I say?" wondered Alex with a smirk "What about the girl, Granger, right?" Harry snorted.

"Back on the world cup, I heard her complaining about the enslavement of house-elves. I can predict a oh-so-wonderful and calm year." he replied sarcastically, making Alex rolling his eyes.

"That girl has potential but if she would just shut up and actually listen instead trying to impose her views on our world..." he said, starting with the sit-ups.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Mh?"

"Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Voldemort had cursed me instead of Neville, on that night?" asked Harry and Alex sat, watching his brother calmly, noticing his nervous "If this lightning scar was a mark of the killing curse instead of Neville's "V"?"

"What caused this?" asked Alex and Harry shrugged, clearly trying to hide something.

"No reason." Harry replied "Sometimes I wonder if I would become a jerk if I were in his shoes."

"Probably." Alex replied with a laugh, earning a mock glare from his brother "Harry, there is no need in dwelling on the unknown, little brother." the older Potter replied, looking at the younger one "Just live your life fully and become strong enough to protect those you love and vanquish those who threaten them. There's nothing more one could ask."

"Tell that to Dumbledore and most of the nation." mumbled Harry, making Alex chuckle.

 _One of these days I'll have to tell you the truth, little brother. On that day, I hope you can forgive me for all the lies I told to protect you._

"Alex?" asked Harry again, sitting next to his brother, having his full attention "If you knew something... something that affects me directly... You'd tell me, right?"

"I don't think I understand, Harry." Alex replied.

"I think you do, Alex." Harry whispered, turning to his brother with a begging look "I didn't have a nightmare with Neville... it was another weird one like the one I saw the old man be killed with the killing curse... only this time I was a giant snake slithering around a big and dark room while some people talked."

"What are you asking, Harry?" asked Alex, knowing very well what Harry wanted to know.

"When I got my wand, Ollivander told me it was a brother wand to Voldemort's..." Harry told him, surprising his older brother. Harry had gone alone into Ollivander's the first time and had never told anyone about it, only about how hard had been to find the wand "Sometimes I have headaches focused on the scar and I keep having weird dreams in which Voldemort or his minions are the center of attentions..." Harry looked at his brother once again "You always insisted in teach me and make me practice, you wanted me to learn to defend myself, to always strive to do better... to learn how to fight..." Harry hesitated "Alex, did you lie all those years ago?"

Alex sighed. Of all the possible times his brother could discover the truth, this was the most inopportune.

"Would you hate me if I told you I did?" asked Alex after some moments. He turned to Harry and saw him hugging his legs by the knees, looking into the estate. The older Potter could see the frightened look in his brother's eyes. Yet, he had a small smile.

"Somehow, I think I always knew." Harry said in almost a whisper "Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to protect you." Alex replied, watching his brother carefully "You were my brother and I had just seen a mad man trying to kill you. I wasn't about to draw more attention to you, even if that meant to sacrifice another baby... who practically meant nothing to me."

After some moments, Harry chuckle.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be a Slytherin?" asked Harry.

"The hat did try to sort me there but I decided to keep a low profile. Ravenclaw was the second choice." revealed Alex, making his brother gap.

"Really?" asked Harry, quite surprised "The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin but I asked it to put me in another house because I thought it would be too much trouble to the family to have the boy who was at the side of the Boy-Who-Lived to be sorted in the so called dark house. It would probably give birth to some bad stories and I thought dad already had enough problems with Dumbledore and Longbottom."

Alex blinked several times, looking at his brother. Then, both laughed for some moments.

"He's coming back, isn't he?" asked Harry in a serious tone after the laughter.

"Maybe." Alex replied, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder "But if he does, you will have me on your side, as well as all the family."

"Thank you, Alex." Harry said with a nod "You're the best brother a guy can have."

"I don't know, you're a pretty decent brat as well." Alex replied, earning a mock punch on his shoulder.

"We will have to tell everyone in the family, Alex." Harry said, turning to his brother "They have the right to know and I can't keep this from Daphne."

"I suspected as much." Alex replied with a nod "It's up to you. I will support you either way."

"Thanks Alex... How many more secrets do you have, brother?" asked Harry with a smirk.

"Just one more." replied Alex with a soft smile "My greatest secret... and no, I won't tell you. I'm sure you'll find out in time." None of them said anything for some moments more.

"Well, how about a spar?" suggested Harry with a grin, drawing his wand.

By half past ten, the Potters, accompanied by the Blacks and the Lupins had crossed to the platform nine and three quarters, where they found the Greengrasses waiting for them. Harry and Daphne greet each other with a kiss while Rose and Cassie started to talk with Astoria.

"This is it, the very last year." said James, turning to his eldest son "How do you feel, son?"

"I'm not really sure, dad." Alex replied, watching the train "How did you feel on your last year?"

"Excited." James promptly replied with a huge smile.

"Well, I don't really feel the excitement." Alex replied with a small smirk.

James chuckled, putting his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Son, I just want you to know that I am very proud of you, as is your mother." James said with a grin, making his son smile.

"I know, dad." he replied, putting his hand on his father's arm in appreciation.

"Have you decided about your future?" James asked.

"Depends, do you want me to replace you in the Wizengamot?" asked Alex, making his father laugh.

"Of course I do but it hasn't to be immediate." the eldest Potter replied, hugging his son by the shoulders "You have a whole year to think about what you want to do, don't worry about politics or being the Potter heir. Just have fun, take your NEWTS, bring good grades home and maybe find yourself a girl?" suggested James with a grin, making Alex chuckle "By the way, son, now that we are alone..."

"What?"

"About that book you gave your brother..." James whispered, trying to make sure he wasn't heard "Your brother lent it to Daphne and I can't copy it... Where can I get a copy to myself?"

"I bought it on a muggle bookstore." Alex replied, trying to hide a chuckle.

"Which one?" asked James, very interested.

"I don't think that's important, just take the book name to any bookstore and if you're lucky, they'll have it on store. If not, you'll need to wait a few days." Alex replied and James nodded.

"Great, thanks son." replied James with a grin "By the way, I don't need to remember you not to say a word about this to your mother, right?"

"My lips are sealed, dad." Alex replied with a chuckle. He joined with the other kids to hear the last recommendations from their mothers and finally boarded the train after an emotional farewell.

"Honestly, you're assistant professor of charms." complained Rose as her mother embraced her "You'll be sat at the head table when we get there tonight."

"That doesn't mean that I won't miss you, darling." Lilly replied as Harry rolled his eyes, his arm around Daphne's waist, who giggled, having dealt with the same behaviour from her own mother.

With the sound of the whistle, the group separated, Rose, Cassie and Astoria joining their year mates, ignoring houses as Rose was a Gryffindor, Cassie a Ravenclaw and Astoria a Slytherin and liked to join all their friends in the same compartment. Harry and Daphne did the same, meeting their friend Tracy Davies, Daphne best girl friend and getting a compartment for them, waiting for the others to arrive while Alex met some of his friends, deciding to go to the prefects meeting on the train.

Harry sat by the window, sporting only a smile as Daphne and Tracy talked about their summers. Eventually, Seamus Finnegan, one of Harry's friends in the house of the lions joined them, paying attention to all proper protocol, as he had been taught. Not only him, Susan Bones and Hannah Abott also joined them, as did Justin Flinch-Fletchley.

"So, what happened to Dean?" asked Justin, sitting next to Seamus in front of Harry.

"Nothing, why?" asked Seamus.

"He's not here, that's why." replied Justin and Harry shrugged.

"Last time we wrote each other, he didn't say anything." Seamus replied as Justin produced a book.

"Say, any idea on why we would need dress robes this year?" the muggleborn asked.

"Some sort of celebration, no doubt." replied Daphne.

"I heard my auntie complain about needing to increase security this year... I asked her why but she told me nothing, only that I would see... but to be honest, she didn't seem very happy."

There was a knock on the door and Padma Patil came in smiling.

"Finally! Hello, everyone, we really should think about a sign to our group, you have no idea how many doors I had to knock."

"Four?" shot Seamus.

"Nah, fifteen." wondered Justin with a playful smile, making Padma roll her eyes.

"Guys, guys, let's be serious..." asked Harry "Obviously the correct answer is forty-two." As everyone got the reference, they all laughed. As they were laughing, the door opened and Dean Thomas, or at least what seemed to be Dean Thomas, entered the cabin, sporting green hair, pink skin and what seemed to be a head full of hair. The first reaction of everyone in the compartment was laughing.

"Laugh it up." Dean complained and they did just that "When you're done, if you could lend me a wand to dispel these damn charms, I'd appreciate it."

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" asked Justin, making Dean growl.

"The twins happened." he told them "Apparently, those shitheads got their hands on some new charms and ideas... I can imagine it won't be a good year for us."

Harry and Seamus groaned. Despite being a descendant of the marauders, Harry hadn't inherited the pranking streak. While the twins called themselves the inheritors of the marauders, he only saw them as bullies, show-offs and assholes, pranking everything and everyone for the giggles... whose giggles though?

"Hold on." Harry replied, drawing his wand and starting to dispel some of the charms "A little help, Daph?"

"Sure, hold on." replied Daphne, also drawing her wand. In a few minutes, Dean was dispelled and everything was fine.

"Thanks, guys." Dean told them, only to hear the door opening behind him again. They all turned to it and for their complete surprise, Neville Longbottom entered the compartment, not saying a word.

"Good morning, Neville." said Susan Bones, earning only a mumbled reply from Neville "Would you like something?"

"No, I only came here to tell him something." Neville said, actually glaring at Harry. Everyone was surprised with it and Dean moved from the way, actually fearing that troubles would begin.

"And what would that be?" asked Harry, steeling his face, as did Daphne, who didn't enjoy Longbottom's company that much.

"Shut the hell up, you prick." growled Neville, surprising everyone "You always get to talk but not this time. This time I'll talk and you'll listen." he told him, ignoring everyone in the room, some of them going to their wands "How is it fair that you get everything good and I only get all the shit?"

"What?" asked Harry, while others thought the same thing.

"You heard me. Everything good only happens to you, doesn't it?" asked Neville with a scowl "The dark bastard left you alone, shooting his curse at me. I lost my mother that night, you didn't lose anything. You have an amazing and supportive family, my father turned a jerk and my grandmother always clashes with him for pretty much everything... My stepmother is a gold digger and their brat is a arrogant shit that must thinks he's me or something." Neville started ranting, surprising Harry and all the others "But no, your family is awesome, supportive, funny... You have friends, real friends that respect you instead of kissing your ass or wanting to control every step you take, who don't belittle you for not being as they want you to be or are always bitching or insulting your whole culture..." Neville balled his fists and sneered at Harry, who like all the others in the compartment was shocked at Neville's speech "Hell, you're lucky enough that your whole forced marriage is already working fine and managed to fall in love with Greengrass" at that, Daphne glared at Neville, refraining only from replying because of Harry, who held her tight "while I am being coerced into one with a daughter of a proper light family." he sneered to himself "Why is it that you turned so lucky from that night and I got the worse deal?" wondered Neville with a glare at Harry.

"Neville, I..." Harry attempted to say, only to be rebuked.

"Fuck you, Potter." he replied with a snarl "I wish I was you. I wish Voldemort had shot his curse at you instead of me. At least you'd have my shitty life and I could have a proper one."

"Hold on just a moment!" demanded Harry and Neville glared at him.

"Piss off, I have to go back to my so adoring and loving fans." he sneered and all of them could feel the loath in his voice. With that last parting shot, Neville left the compartment with no further word, leaving everyone in the room gaping.

"What the hell just happened?" wondered Tracy as Harry tried to rise from his seat.

"Where are you going?" asked Daphne, turning to her boyfriend.

"Maybe I should talk to him..." Harry replied, being held by Daphne.

"And tell him what?" she asked him, rising her eyebrow.

"I don't know, but..." he replied with a shrug.

"Let him blow off some steam." Daphne replied softly, noticing how Harry was truly concerned. She may not be fond of Longbottom but she knew that Harry and him were on friendly terms, despite all the attempts by third parties to end it and that sometimes, Longbottom valued Harry's support.

"But Daph..."

"Harry, he clearly is angry at you for some reason. Talk to him would serve no purpose." she replied.

"It solved for us..." replied Harry with a half felt grin, making her smirk.

"Different reasons, love." Daphne replied, nodding to his seat, which he sat on again "You can talk to him again later. Besides, what are you going to say or even do?"

"Yeah, I don't know..." Harry replied, feeling guilty and thinking of the conversation he had with his brother that same morning.

The door opened again, distracting everyone from their thoughts, revealing none other than Alex Potter and a sixth year Hufflepuff prefect.

"Morning, beautiful my ladies. Boys..." he said in his best flare, having a few giggles from the girls "You wouldn't have had the pleasure of a visit by either a certain blond, a red head or a duo of not so talented physical comedians, would you?"

"What did Malfoy do?" asked Tracy rolling her eyes.

"The traditional shout match with Weasley." Alex replied with a shrug "That's also why I'm searching for him, to let the both of them know that this year, I have given orders for them to be severely punished if they start shouting at each other as usually."

"Finally!" mumbled Daphne, having nods from everyone else.

"And the twins?" asked Dean "Those assholes have already started their pranking."

"Yes, I know." Alex replied with a scowl "A group of firsties is already terrified of them. They have already won detention... I'm just not sure with whom I should talk, Snape or Filch..."

Everyone flinched.

"Sadist." mumbled Seamus and Alex grinned.

"Don't tempt me, Finnigan." he laughed "Enjoy your ride."

"Alex, wait." said Harry, rising from his seat "We need to talk. One minute, tops." Alex just nodded.

"Bianca, if you don't mind, can you wait for a bit in here?" asked Alex and the girl nodded. Harry and Alex left the compartment and closed the door behind them, making sure no one was around.

"Neville came to visit..." Harry said and Alex rose an eyebrow.

"So?" he asked.

"He pretty much admitted that he'd wish we traded lives and he was quite vocal at it." Harry replied and Alex widened his eyes "He pretty much blamed me for having a perfect life while he has a shitty one."

"Uh... I never thought he feel that way..." Alex replied, looking to his brother "What do you want to do?" Harry shrugged.

"What can I do?" he asked back and Alex sighed.

"Harry, I know this may sound cold coming from me, but that's not your problem." Alex said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder "Yes, I lied and set the first stone but it was Frank Longbottom and his family that embraced Neville's fame and popularity. It was them who ruined Neville's life, not you, not me. Them." Harry nodded. As in most things, he agreed with his brother. Only, after Neville's speech, he couldn't help but pity him.

"Yeah, I know." Harry mumbled.

"Good." Alex replied with a shoulder hug "Now, go back inside. I saw Daphne looking worried at you when you said you wanted to talk to me. We can't have worried witches."

Harry laughed and went back to the compartment, noticing Daphne looking at him. Alex and the Hufflepuff prefect left and Harry kissed Daphne.

"What happened?" she asked him, noticing the change in Harry's demeanour.

"Nothing, why?" he asked with a smile. Daphne smiled back and snuggled with him, going back to the conversation.

 _It might not be fair for you, Neville... It's not fair all they force upon you, exploiting your image and your "legend"... I'm sorry to say this...but better you than me, my friend._

Alex boarded a carriage with Roger Davies and Cedric Diggory, the Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff seventh year prefects, after making sure everyone the firsties were set with Hagrid and that everyone else entered the carriages.

"Well, not bad for a first day of work." joked Roger, one of Alex's best friends, co-player in Ravenclaw's quidditch team and that year's captain.

"I really though Weasley and Malfoy would blow a gasket when you informed them of the low tolerance policy this year." laughed Cedric, another of Alex's good friends and captain of the Hufflepuff's quidditch team.

"Meh, it was easier to convince Malfoy than Weasley." Alex replied, looking to the outside "Both are idiots, loudmouths and lack a lot of discretion but Malfoy has some pride in his heritage while Weasley doesn't. I just needed to appeal to the blonde's pride to bend him and I truly hope to have less arguments because of the two of them."

"What about Weasley?" asked Cedric and Alex snorted.

"The boy is a slob, loud, had no manners, no ethics and honestly, he's a leech." Alex replied and his friends widened their eyes "I remember Bill, Charlie and even Percy. They worked hard and this one just thinks he's entitled to things. The only thing he cares about is food and quidditch, so I threatened just that. If he steps out of the line, I'll make sure he's served less food than anyone else and take quidditch from him."

"Can you do that?" asked Roger with a raised eyebrow. Alex just smirked.

"No, but he doesn't know that, does he?"

The laughter inside the carriage was heard in others and many wondered what could be so funny. When they finally arrived to Hogwarts, Alex, Roger and Cedric exited their carriage and walked side by side into the great hall.

"I have a feeling this year will be our year." joked Cedric and both his Ravenclaw friends grinned at him.

"Dream on, badger." replied Roger with a huge laugh "I have set new tactics for the team and I already had a good talk with my chaser, this year we'll take all there is to take." he claimed, clapping Alex's back.

"Sorry Ced, but Rog is right. I want to end this year in glory." Alex replied with a grin, making the Hufflepuff snort.

"We'll see about that." he replied with a grin. The three frends walked together and only separated at the tables, Cedric going to his own table while Alex sat with his back to the Hufflepuffs and Roger in front of him.

"So, our last sorting." mumbled Roger, earning a glare from a girl sat at his side.

"Stop being so pessimistic, Davies." the girl glared, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Ouch, damn it Regine..." the boy complained and Alex just smirked at them, focusing on the head table, where he saw his mother looking happy sat at Flitwick's side, both engaging into conversation. His brother was already sat at Gryffindor table with Seamus and Dean and Neville, seemed to be trying to ignore Weasley and Granger who, surprise surprise, were bickering. Rose was also sat with her year mates, looking happy. At his own table, he saw Cassie sat with her year mates, happily talking and with a slight turn, he saw Daphne and Astoria, happily chatting.

He smiled, noticing his friends and year mates looking at him.

"What?" he wondered and Regine rolled her eyes.

"What were you thinking?" she asked sweetly but with a mischievous tone.

"Just checking the family members." Alex replied.

"You know Alex, I have this friend..." the girl in front of Regine, at his side, started to say, only to be rebuked.

"Sorry, Mariah, not interested in dating. If anything, we can meet up in a huge party but no dating for me."

"Spoilsport." the girl complained as Roger laughed.

"Hey, if your friend likes Alex, why not set her up with me?" asked Roger and Regine just snorted.

"Because she's my friend and I actually value her friendship." the Mariah replied. Regine and Mariah high fived each other with a laughter and Alex laughed while Roger rolled his eyes.

The doors of the great hall opened and the firsties entered, looking amazed and flabbergasted.

"Were we ever that small? That innocent?" Mariah asked and Regine snorted.

"Yes we were and Davies was never innocent."

"Hey." he complained.

"Why the animosity towards Roger?" Alex asked and Regine glared at Roger while talking to him.

"We met during Summer in Brighton and this asshole hit on my sister, who by the way, was on her bachelorette party."

"Congratulations, then." Mariah replied and Regine thanked with a nod.

"I wondered when she would move out." she replied with a laugh.

"Damn, bad Roger. Very bad." replied Alex and Roger actually shrugged.

"In my defence, she was hot. How was I to know she was your sister?"

"Oh, shut up, you pervert." Regine replied, clapping as a boy was sent to Hufflepuff.

The sorting continued until the very last firstie was called. At that point, Dumbledore rose from his seat and asked for silence.

"I would like to welcome all of you, returned students and new students, into these hallowed halls for a new year." everyone clapped "However, before we partake on our wonderful feast, there is still one more sorting to be done." at that, everyone mumbled to each other "This final student came to us on this very day, having being homeschooled all her life, showing her interest in joining our school for her NEWTS year." Alex rose an eyebrow as everyone whispered even more "You are probably wondering why is this important? Well, it's not, really." Some chuckles were heard, classic Dumbledore "However, this person, this young lady identity is none other than the last of an old and much powerful family of our nation, a family that all of us believed to be extinct for centuries." more whispering, this time more intense "Please welcome Lady Merlynne Lefay, of the most ancient and most noble house of Lefay."

All heads turned to the great hall doors at once, everyone gaping. They all saw a young women wearing her dark Hogwarts robes. She was beautiful, carrying herself with confidence. Her dark hair was loose in her back and her lips showed a small smile.

Both boys and girls found her beautiful and while some boys wanted to try their luck and date her, others, the most ambitious sort, were already planning how to meet her and plan a way to gain a possible alliance and who knew, something more. Because, if Dumbledore was right and this woman was a Lefay, she was a descendant of Morgana Lefay herself and therefore, rich in both money, lore and magic.

Dumbledore smiled. With his little gamble done, he now had to wait and see. When Miss Lefay had appeared in Hogwarts that very same day, around nine o'clock in the morning, she had requested to be accepted in Hogwarts seventh year. Hogwarts would accept anyone but to know that this girl was the very last Lefay, a family line thought terminated centuries before, drove Dumbledore to speed the process and even help to get her necessary equipment for the school year.

Surprisingly, the girl had most of the necessary equipment as well. It was a shame that she was unable to ride the train. The house of Lefay was known to be a dark grey house and he could benefit of having the power of the almost legendary house allied with the light side. Maybe by arranging a few meetings and introducing the right people it could be done. The girl clearly appeared not to be dark and she could definitively benefit of his experience.

Dumbledore pat himself in the back for a great plan.

When Filius Flitwick informed Lilly Potter of Merlynne Lefay's existence and her status as a seventh year student of Hogwarts, Lilly almost fainted. A Lefay, a descendant of Morgana herself? She hadn't had a chance to meet her but for all she heard, the young woman, the lady of her own house was polite, well spoken, beautiful, talented and powerful. Lilly knew all those things and yet, she couldn't be helped to be amazed seeing her walking the corridor between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, watching the reaction of the student body. Even her own son Alexander was fascinated.

Which was not entirely true.

Alex was confused, not being able to understand what was happening. Lyn was in Hogwarts. Why? She had her training to complete, but even then, why would she need to come to Hogwarts? What was happening? Why was Lyn there? And yet, Lyn was in Hogwarts. He had no idea if he should be concerned or ecstatic.

Merlynne Lefay, also known as Lyn by Alexander Potter sat with a smile, watching Alex's confused demeanour. She just smiled widely while watching him as McGonagall put the hat on her head.

 _"So, we finally meet, Lady Lefay. "_

 _"I believe you are the hat? "_

 _"Indeed, my lady. The Sorting Hat of Hogwarts, at your service."_

 _"I assume you know me through Alexander?"_

 _"Indeed, my lady. When Mr. Potter the older sat under me, I was amazed to see such a young mind so filled of secrecy, honour, loyalty and ambitions. I saw his entire life and standing side to side with his family duty, there was you, his best friend for several years and as I can see from your mind, something far more intimate now."_

 _"I have no shame of it, Hat." Lyn replied with a smile, seeing Alex looking at her "You know what I want the most. Will you give it to me?"_

 _"I see no need not to, my lady." the hat replied "Your place is no doubt_ RAVENCLAW! _"_

The house of the blue and bronze rose as one, cheering for their new housemate. A cheering like that hadn't been seen since Neville Longbottom had joined Gryffindor four years past.

"Oh, Merlin, she's in our house..." Mariah whispered, amazed "We'll have classes with her!"

Lyn walked to the house of the ravens, with one destination only in her mind. Ignoring all the others, she walked to Alex, ignoring all eyes looking at her.

"Lady Lefay, it's an honour to..." Regine tried to start, being silenced by Alex, who rose a hand before her. Everyone looked at Alexander Potter and Merlynne Lefay, standing face to face and for a moment, no one knew what would happen.

"I did it, all thanks to you." Lyn finally said with a smile, looking at Alex who widened his eyes in amazement and confusion. Everyone else heard them and they were even more confused "I'm here now and I don't want to hide it anymore. I don't NEED to hide it anymore." she told him and his smile grew "I want to come forward, Alex. No more secrets, no more hiding. I want it to be known and I want us to finally be together. I want it to make it worth it to you."

Alex chuckled.

"Damn it Lyn, don't you get it?" he asked with a huge grin "You ARE worth it." he said, holding her in his arms and kissing her in front of the great hall. Everyone gaped at the sight, complete disbelief showing in their faces as Alexander Potter and Merlynne Lefay kissed each other as if there was no tomorrow. Alex ended the kiss and twirled her in his arms, both laughing and ignoring the disbelief of their peers and teachers. That was, of course, until a very familiar and motherly voice made itself heard.

"Alexander Landon Potter! I demand an explanation this instant." many other voices agreed with Lilly Potter "And twenty points from Ravenclaw for such a display."

No one even groaned, all wanting to hear the explanation. Alex hugged Lyn from behind, both smiling.

"Fine, everyone, mum, meet Merlynne Lefay, my best friend since I was six years old and my girlfriend since I was ten." if everyone could drop their jaw, they would, as everyone was gaping "The woman I love and the reason why I never dated anyone while in school... why would I?" he chuckled while Lyn looked slightly embarrassed "She's also the woman I intend to marry with as soon as she tells me she is allowed to."

"I am allowed to..." Lyn whispered but many still heard her.

"Really?" asked Alex hopefully, to which Lyn only nodded with a blush. He stood facing her and kissed her softly "Lyn, I don't have a ring for you now but would you accept to marry me?"

"I don't need a ring, Alex." she replied with a smile "All I need is you."

The two of them kissed again and some girls fainted in the hall.

"But... But..." Lilly tried to say, unable to form coherent thoughts. Rose was gaping and Harry remembered what his brother had told him: The greatest secret he still had... now revealed. Cassie fared no better while Astoria was slightly envious, although she couldn't help to be amazed. Daphne looked from Alex, to Lyn, to Harry, having the feeling that Harry knew something more.

Alex friends were all gaping, not having had an inkling of nothing of the sort.

Dumbledore saw his plans destroyed even before he could start them.

"I have a correction to make, then." Alex said, his voice the only sound in the great hall, smiling widely at Lyn, who smiled back "Everyone, meet Merlynne Lefay, my best friend since I was six years old, my girlfriend since I was ten and my betrothed as of right now."

 **The end**

 **Thoughts?**

 **I will now focus on Paid In Blood.**

 **Cheers**


	5. Chapter 5

/

Disclaimer

I own nothing of the Harry Potter franchise.

Glad to clear that up

/

 **This is another weird idea I got that I thought would give a nice plot... In this story, Harry Potter is three years older and Voldemort attacked was on Halloween three years earlier, when Harry was one. Harry's first four years were rather calm and the stone debacle happened on his fourth year. The chamber on his fifth and Sirius escaped Azkaban on his sixth year. Other characters remain as in cannon.**

 **R &R if you like, please.**

Arabela Gaunt arrived at the Slytherin common room from her seventh year dorm with a huge smile in her lips, contrasting with the confused and apprehensive looks shared by her housemates. The reason?

Her crush revealed a glimpse of his true self and many were unsure what to think. In fact, only one person in Hogwarts was smiling and that was Arabela. All others, students, staff and even ghosts were confused and in awe, unable to comprehend the true extent of said young man's power and why he had kept it as a secret.

Said young man was completely angry and in a rage, if his 'performance' and exit from the great hall was any indication... and Arabela loved it, knowing he had no choice but to drop his carefully built masks, the masks he had build for years and sabotaged himself with.

"Lady Gaunt?" asked a young fourth year, Parkinson, if Arabela remembered correctly, seeing the most powerful Slytherin with an unusual huge smile and nearly skipping "Is... is there everything all right?"

"Everything is perfect." she replied with an even huger smile, scaring the group of fourth years with her unusual happiness "I know that today is going to be a wonderful day."

"My lady, what about..." another girl, Greengrass, asked, with a small gulp "Last night?"

"What about it?" Arabela asked amused, crossing her arms and waiting for a reply, making Greengrass nervous. Luckily for the girl, Malfoy intervened.

"Potter." he said with a gulp, causing Arabela to smile.

"And pray tell, what's the problem?" she asked, amused.

"He's the champion of Hogwarts... but he is nothing special, has no real visibility besides being the boy-Who-Lived, he has low grades and isn't powerful... and yet, he's the champion and..." Greengrass replied, shivering and Arabela smiled, remembering how Harry Potter, reacted after his name was announced as the champion of Hogwarts. His anger was huge, his rage fiery and his magic untamed, erupting from him in waves that were felt by everyone in the hall. Such was its density that many students, from the lowly firsties to the seventh years were terrified of him. She drunk his power and realized he had become even more powerful since the last time she felt his unchecked power... and she felt all the excitement, all the desire, all need of him. Arabela remembered looking and realizing that even the teachers were shocked and in awe of the young man's power, a power that surpassed their own and even Dumbledore had paled considerably when confronted by the young man, demanding answers why his name had come out of the goblet when he hadn't placed it there...

Dumbledore was very apprehensive and she knew the old man was afraid of him... that was such a delicacy she barely controlled herself and her damned hormones not to jump Harry Potter right there in the great hall.

When Dumbledore was unable to provide answers, stating that the goblet had created a magical contract and that Harry had to compete or forfeit his magic, Harry glared at the cup and drew his wand, casting a powerful and destructive spell that even Arabela didn't know. The cup was reduced to smithereens, much to the shock of everyone but the contract didn't end. Harry was still forced to compete in the tournament. Ignoring the ministry officials, the headmaster, his head of house, everyone really, he left the great hall in anger after punching the Gryffindor table and leaving a massive dent in it, swearing to have his vengeance in however put his name in the cup.

"Children, children..." Arabela smiled enigmatically "You know nothing of him. What we saw yesterday was nothing compared with what he can do." she offered as a reply "I, for one, am very proud of our champion and I will offer him all my support." she added, moving away from the fourth years with a huge smile and leaving them flabbergasted.

She left the common room alone and walked to the great hall, where she intended to see, him. Much to her chagrin, she didn't saw him there. Most students were already in the great hall and she did see his year mates, the Gryffindor seventh years. Some of his housemates were happy and celebrating, although some seemed confused while all of them avoided Harry's spot in the previous night, the one with the dent in the table... of her crush, there was no sight.

 _That won't do at all..._ she thought to herself, starting to walk out of the great hall. She knew him well... in fact, she was the only soul who knew him as well as he knew himself. She walked to the lake shore, to his favorite spot by the rocks in the eastern shore. There he had more privacy, silence and could hear the water hitting the stone and the wind in the trees, things that made him relax and focus. As she expected, he was there, standing atop the stones, his arms crossed on his chest, his robes floating in the wind like a cloak of an ancient king and his gaze focused on the lake.

Arabela looked at him and engraved the image in her memory, loving every detail of it. His greatness, his power, his demeanour... only one thing lacked in the image... herself in his arms, something that could easily be fixed. She couldn't help to chuckle to her own thoughts. If two years before she had been told she would be acting like this for a boy, she would most certainly curse the person in the most painful ways imaginable... Yet, there she was... the most powerful dark witch in the last two hundred years, pinning for a boy. To think she missed an entire year already... granted, she wasn't any good in expressing her interests and her feelings but he wasn't any better.

"Potter!" she called and he looked at her with his beautiful green eyes.

"What do you want, Gaunt?" Harry asked back with a sigh and Arabela noticed he looked disheveled and dirty.

"Did you sleep?" she asked, concerned about him.

"Why?" he asked back.

"You look like you didn't." she replied.

"I'll ask you again, what do you want?" he asked with a glare.

"My, are you offering?" she replied and he rolled his eyes. One thing he hated in Arabela Gaunt was the fact that she always diverted the conversation.

"I'm not in the mood, Gaunt." he replied in exasperation and anger "Leave me alone."

"But I still don't have what I want." she pouted and Harry almost admitted it was a pretty and seductive pout.

"Just say what you want, please." he replied in a sigh, rubbing his temples. Arabela looked at him with a tender smile and caressed his face, surprising him.

"I want you to shed your masks. I want you to stop hiding your power and your real self and I want you to be the real you. After you do all that..." she approached his ear and whispered lustily "I want you to be mine as much as I want to be yours." Harry widened his eyes, seeing the smug smile Arabela had.

"I don't know what you mean." he replied, turning away from the seductive girl.

"I think you do." Arabela replied with a smirk "I want the wizard who last night confronted everyone and almost forced Dumbledore into submission with sheer power alone. I want the intelligent and cunning man who devised a plan to hide his own self from the public and more importantly, I want the wizard who is my equal and believe me, for me to acknowledge it, it has to be truth." Harry snorted, crossing his arms again, seeing her dark hair floating around her face while she looked at him "In terms of magic, each of us alone can be a force to reckon with. The two of us together, we would be unstoppable. Just imagine the power we can wield together." she told him, a vicious gleam in her eyes mixed with both desire, lust and ambition "I have a house to rebuild. Several, in fact and I will need a powerful wizard with me to do it. There is no other but you. I want you."

"You seem to have given this a lot of thought." Harry replied in an almost uninterested whisper, still shocked with what he heard the girl say. The truth was that despite all the provocations and the flirting of the past year, the same year Arabela Gaunt had joined Hogwarts after being homeschooled for her first five years, she had given no inkling of her interest in him.

"I admit, I sound like a school girl or worse, a fangirl but I'm not ashamed to say I have developed a huge respect for your abilities." she added with a smile "From there to realize I had a crush on you, it was a quick step." with his arms crossed, Harry looked to the surface of the lake, trying to hide his interest in the conversation. Arabela stood at his side and crossed her arms as well, looking at the lake "I know what I want, Harry." she said in a low tone and a smile "And I always get what I want."

"Are you going to force me?" he asked, turning to her, rage hidden behind his eyes at the thought. She just chuckled.

"I don't need to do anything." she replied with a smug smile, looking to the object of her affections "Or are you going to tell me you don't feel attracted to me already?" she asked, turning to him and approaching him "That you don't dream with me? To have me laying on my back or in my stomach while you take me? To have me on you? Our bodies, together?" she added with desire clear in her voice. She even looked to under his waist, trying to see his reaction but the robes we was wearing didn't allow her to see it.

"No, I don't." Harry lied poorly, looking away again and Arabela knew it to be a poor lie.

"Liar." she replied huskily at his ear, felling his shivers. She grinned at it. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned in his shoulder, standing at his side in silence for some moments. She smirked as Harry didn't opposed to the gesture and the approximation.

"Why?" he asked and she looked at him "Why are you telling me this and why now?"

"I wasted last year and I didn't want to lose another." she replied with a smile "The tournament will help you to shed your masks, like I said I wanted you to do and I know you can win it. Krum and the veela are nothing compared with you. Finally, I know you. You were raging and needing encouragement to make the proper decision, not that you wouldn't make it anyway..."

"That doesn't explain why now." he replied, looking at her "By your own words, you could have told me anything anytime since the year started but you didn't. You waited until today. Why?" he asked and then he made a connection "You bitch, it was you, wasn't it?" he asked in anger, letting go of her arm around his waist "You put my name in the cup because you wanted to have me in this position? You wanted me to be in the tournament?"

Arabela smirked amused and nodded.

"Yes, I did." she replied and in a blur, two wands appeared between them. One was Harry's, pointed at Arabela's forehead and the other Arabela's, pointed at his chest.

"Now, darling. I know you're not pleased with me but focus on the big picture." Arabela said "You needed this. You needed to be free of those masks you put yourself under. Those are nothing but hindrances."

"You had no right." he snarled at the girl "Because of you, their attention will be on me again. Dumbledore will pester me even more, the teachers too, not to mention the ministry people. I won't have peace."

"Why do you care?" she asked "They are nothing. You should make them grovel before you. You are much more than them."

"Because I need time to work and train my own magic, you idiot." Harry snarled and the girl rose an eyebrow "If they are always looking over my shoulder, I won't be able to have anything done and the last thing I need is those bastards trying to control me again."

"What do you mean?" Arabela asked curious and Harry snorted

"You are a selfish bitch, aren't you?" he asked with a scowl, resisting the need to curse the girl. Had it been anyone else, he would have done it... but not her.

"Yes, I am... as are you." she replied with a smirk "You are a selfish bastard as well and you won't curse me... well, with nothing deadly, at least." she replied, lowering her wand in a sign of good faith. Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't move or lowered his own wand.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked and she leaned closer to him, covering the distance of his stretched arm.

"Because I know you. I know your thoughts and your emotions." she replied huskily again "Had it been anyone else, you would have cast a curse. Not me. You know I'm right. You want the same I want and above all else, you want me. That's how I know you will not curse me and how I know you will forgive me for putting your name in the cup."

"You think too high of yourself." Harry snorted and Arabela chuckled "You know nothing of me."

"I know about the muggles." Arabela replied and Harry widened his eyes at her "I know about your magical exploits in primary school, the apparition to the roof, the A grades..." she enumerated "And I know about the neglect and the beatings." the last part was added with a scowl "How dared they, doing that to a child? To you?"

"How?" Harry asked in a low tone "How do you know that?"

"Does it matter?" Arabela replied, caressing his face again "You were born to greatness... and I don't want you to squander it or worse, serve an undeserving master."

"You prefer that I would serve you?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow and Arabela shook her head.

"No..." she replied "Years ago, I would have said yes but now..." she hesitated, caressing the hems of his robes in a tender movement, not looking at him "You're powerful and between you and me, I don't know who's more powerful." she explained, raising her head and looking at Harry with a soft but concerned smile "You will probably become a threat to me so I need to make sure that doesn't happen. The fact I fell in love with you made it impossible for me to kill you, unless you give me a good reason." she said, snorting at the end "I don't want to be forced to do it." Harry said nothing, hearing her words and finally lowering his wand, not pointing it at Arabela. He was still unsure of what was happening, since it was one of the most surreal moments in his life but he let the girl be, playing with the hem of his robes, clearly in thought "This is new for me, you know?" she continued after some moments "Caring about someone or something. I'm an orphan and before I met you, I cared only about myself. Being a girl in a patriarchal society made me cold, ruthless and essentially, a bitch. I manipulated everyone to do my bidding and had to make sure I protected myself from bastards who wanted to have their way with me, by spell or words. I craved for power and I did all I could to have it... then you showed up in my life and..." she chuckled.

"What?" he asked, his arms lowered and to himself "That's the second time you mention the time we met and I can't think of anything I could have done last year when we met."

"I know you can't, darling." she replied, looking at him again with a smile "I made sure no one knew of it, to protect myself..."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"I cast a fidelius charm with me as the secret keeper." Harry rose an eyebrow.

"Are you going to tell me?" he asked and Arabela shook her head.

"No." Harry added nothing but Arabela knew we was curious "I care about you, Harry Potter. I care a lot about you and I didn't lie in what I told you today. I want you and I also want you to be great and stand with me. I always get what I want, one way or the other." she continued, looking at him with a small smirk and feeling the excitement growing inside her, overpowering everything else. Feeling bold, she leaned into him and gave him a soft kiss in cheek "I think we spoke enough for the day..." she said, stepping away from him, feeling her own warmth in her body, her heart beating much faster , wanting to do so much more "I'll see you in class." As she was about to leave, she felt a strong grip holding her in place.

"I also get what I want, one way or another." he replied coldly and she smirked "I want answers but just to be clear in whatever just happed right now, you, the bitchest bitch in Hogwarts, the Ice Queen, claim to have feelings for me and want me to be greater than I am and for doing that, you placed my name in the bleeding cup for me to be selected as a champion in the Tournament, just to force me to shed my masks, fucking up my plans for the next years?" Arabela raised her eyebrow, knowing nothing of said plans but nodded. Harry shook his head and in a swift movement, his wand was raised, pointed at a larger rock and a reducto spell cast. Normally, a reducto would reduce an object to smaller parts, that's why it was used to destroy. The more powerful it was, the smaller the pieces the object was broken into. Arabela stood in awe as the rock was reduced to sand "I have enough problems in my life, Gaunt. I definitively didn't need this tournament." he said coldly.

"What problems?" she asked curious and he snorted.

"Light sycophants, manipulators and meddling fools trying to 'guide' me for 'the greater good'."

"Dumbledore?"

"Who else?" he asked, rubbing his temples "Not to mention trying to control where I live and what I do."

"I thought your godfather was exonerated and that you lived with him and professor Lupin." she asked and he snorted.

"Between living with those two imbecils and being forced to be a prisoner in my own home or being a prisoner in the muggle's home, I rather be at the muggles." he revealed to her and she widened her eyes "At least in the muggles I was left alone to do my things."

"But..." she mumbled "Is it that bad?" she asked and he snorted.

"Just because they're my parent's best friends and my uncles and godfather, that doesn't make them anything to me." he said with a scowl "We are talking about two men who abandoned me when I needed them the most." he stopped himself, realizing he was telling her too much.

Arabela felt guilty hearing that. Harry just sighed and looked at her again.

"I can just make sure I lose every task." Harry said "I just need to participate and I don't need to do anything. Your plan fails there and I have nothing to prove to anyone." he scowled and Arabela looked thoughtfully for a moment.

"If you do that, you won't have me." she replied and she felt her own uneasiness in her voice.

"And once again, you think of yourself to highly and ignore what the others tell you." he replied, looking at her "I also get what I want, one way or another and unlike you Slytherins, I have no problems in hurting my pride and grovel in the mud if I'll benefit from it."

"I want you to win." she replied forcefully and a bit more uneasy.

"What you want is irrelevant, Gaunt." he replied coldly and in almost a whisper and Arabela felt the cold wind around her, the warmth vanishing and somehow, she knew it was him causing it "I won't deny it, I do feel attracted to you but I feel no compulsion to help with your goals when you ruined every plan I had."

"But... what plans? You had no plans..." she whispered and he heard her. His hands balled in fists in anger.

"I knew it." he hissed "I knew it was too real to be a dream. How the hell did you entered my mind so easily at night?"

"I... " she hesitated, not believing she had fallen for such a simple trap.

"No, damn it. No more lies. I had it with you and everyone else's lies." he roared at her "If you want anything from me, you tell me the truth or I swear to Merlin, Morgana and everyone else I will walk away, do the exact opposite you and everyone else wants me to and when time comes to have my revenge, I will see everyone as an enemy." her lips slowly became a smirk. Much to his chagrin, she just chuckled.

"What do I gain with it?" she asked him "What can you possibly give me that will be worth it such a secret?" she taunted him "Maybe if you do as I ask, maybe if you accept my proposal... maybe, just maybe, I will..." her words died in her lips as he rolled his eyes and pushed her to himself. Their lips joined and Arabela felt her own magic react to the moment of the kiss, finding herself in a state of bliss, wanting, desire and happiness. She felt herself melt in his arms and couldn't care less. She hugged him by the neck and squeezed herself against him, feeling his own desire and wanting, both increasing the intensity of the kiss. A mere kiss quickly became a snog with wild roaming hands. When the kiss broke, both of them whimpered against it but the need to breath was greater. They remained looking at each other in silence for some time.

"I want more." Arabela whispered and Harry nodded.

"Yeah, me too." he replied while she bit her lip in hesitance "But I think now I need to calm down, least I do something..."

"I... I agree." she replied, realizing her own body was screaming at her to go forward, filling her with feelings she had never sensed before. For some moments, none spoke and during that silence, Arabela scowled herself for being weak and nearly losing her composure with one kiss and wanted to cheer herself for an amazing snog, while berating herself for stopping.

None spoke, as none knew what to say after the snog. Harry, however, looked pensieve.

"You entered my mind several times this summer..." he said and she nodded.

"Every night for nearly two weeks." she replied. She had no need to hide it.

"Our mind snogs were nothing compared with that." he added and she nearly laughed.

"You started to block me after those two weeks..." she replied "Why?"

"I started to suspect something was off after the fifth night of the same dream." he confessed "Hot girl, snogging, much hands roaming... sex... I never had dreams like that before so I raised occlumency barriers." he looked at her, not in anger but respect "You were hard to keep away."

"Thank you." she replied with a smirk "Although after you raised the strong barriers, I didn't manage to enter your mind again and I tried really hard." Harry nodded.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, looking at Arabela. The question was made in an almost whisper but she felt the doubt and the uncertainty in his voice. She shook her head.

"If I tell you the truth, you'll hate me." she replied and Harry nodded.

"That tells me you're related to someone who's my enemy." he replied with a sigh, looking away, back to the lake "In the beginning of summer, I had dreams with Voldemort, giving orders to Wormtail, another younger guy, speaking to a snake and killing an old muggle." Harry told her, watching Arabela's expression. She kept a perfect mask "Then suddenly I have dreams with you, much more vivid and at the same time, much alike." he sighed "Did she teach you how to do it?"

"No." Arabela replied, feeling a great weight in her shoulders, feeling scared at that moment "She didn't. She didn't know about it." Arabela replied, choosing to be honest with him. She approached him again and took his hands in hers, using them to caress her face "Harry... I do care about you." she told him "Very much."

"But your loyalty lies with her?" Harry asked, a sarcastic chuckle forming in his lips.

"No, darling." she whispered, making a decision. She leaned to him again and whispered to his ear "Arabela Gaunt is just an alias I created to be closer to you. I am Lady Voldemort and we met at the Chamber of Secrets two years ago."

And in that moment, a veil was lifted from Harry's mind and he remembered all that had happened two years before, the year when the chamber of secrets had been opened. He always found suspicious how he didn't remember very well what had happened but now he had his answers. A fidelius charm had been cast upon the events... He remembered how he entered the chamber of secrets and found the younger Weasley girl drawing runes in the floor around a small altar, under the guidance of a semi transparent shade of a pretty girl with raven hair, wearing Slytherin robes... the same shade who, after a quick introduction, identified herself as being the Dark Lady Voldemort, who would be reborn thanks to the life force of the stupid girl who carried her diary and set the basilisk on him, to make sure he didn't interfere.

She believed him to be a hero.

She was wrong.

Harry flared his magic and struck against the basilisk even before it came out of the statue. They heard the beast hiss in pain and the basilisk never came out.

The look of shock she gave him when she felt his magic was only surpassed when his cutting curse separated the Weasley girl's head from her shoulders and the shade started to scream and fading from existence. Harry remembered looking at the diary, opening it and writing in its pages using the girl's blood.

 _I don't care._ he wrote and threw the book to the ground, near the body of the girl. He never noticed the drop of blood that fell from his nose into the page but he noticed the drops that fell to the ground and cleaned himself, knowing it happened because of pushing his magic too hard. Then he simply left the chamber, never to return. He blocked the memory in his mind and made sure to be surprised when it came out that the girl had vanished. He was never suspected and even tried to help to find her, as the light side poster boy would and no one suspected him. Then, one day, the memory had faded from his mind, not that he realized it. Until today.

"I remember..." he whispered, looking to Arabela, who smiled sadly "How?" she shrugged.

"I don't know." she replied "In one moment, I was raging in the diary, thinking about you, what I felt and what you had done and suddenly I felt myself being dragged from the diary. Then I had a physical body and was alone in the chamber. I had no idea what happened but I knew you were not to be taken lightly. I picked the girl's wand, left by the basilisk tunnels into the forest and went to Gringotts. They told me what I knew, gave me access to all my vaults and we created a new identity for me as Arabela Gaunt. I spent that summer thinking about you, what you had done and your power and I became a bit obsessed about you... I also read those stupid books and all the articles the paper made since that night... I wanted to know you, know my enemy, the one who vanquished my other self nearly sixteen years ago... but I was weak and had no idea how to do it... I decided to come here last year, to meet you personally but I couldn't be recognized by Dumbledore or you... hence the fidelius on my identity and what happened in the chamber... I found you interesting and enigmatic. Why didn't you show your power? Why being only average when you could be great? I found myself wondering and wondering, realizing I knew something private from you and slowly, my anger and hate gave birth to respect, jealousy and obsession. Somehow, obsession became interest and feelings were developed and... last year's last term happened" she smiled "I realized I had a crush on you and that I liked you a lot. That led to me deciding I needed to know why the other me wanted you dead... So I found her this past summer and with a bit of cunning, I absorbed her into myself, becoming the only Lady Voldemort in existence... and I realized her motives in going after you and your family were completely idiotic and that no sane witch or wizard would trust her reasons." Harry rose an eyebrow at that but said nothing, preferring to wait "I became much more powerful by absorbing her soul into mine and that led me to find out about the link to invade your mind. I saw your whole life, how the muggles treated you and in the beginning, I was disgusted how you didn't fight back... Then I realized that the memories were incomplete and I searched for others... and I did find memories of you using your magic at a younger age, forcing your will upon others, experimenting... even against the muggles but if they caught you, they would beat you horribly." she snarled "I saw your memories when the walrus broke your arm with fire poker, the dogs..." she trembled in anger and Harry was strangely stiff "Tell me you did something to them. Tell me you had your revenge."

"Not yet, but soon." he replied with a scowl and she nodded.

"I saw your entire life. I even saw when you confronted my other self because of the stone, while she was possessing Quirrel... I'm appalled she allowed him to be such a lousy teacher but I wasn't very surprised when I saw you act in a similar way to what you acted in the chamber, burning Quirrel before he could attack you... You don't offer terms do you?" she asked with a chuckle.

Harry's reply was a shrug.

"Then, I admit, I had Wormtail there, taking care of my other self and I discovered what happened last year, when Black told you the truth."

"You were responsible for Wormtail's capture?" Harry asked and 'Arabela' nodded with a smirk.

"Think of it as a small token of good will." she replied "Of course, had I known what you just told me about Black and Lupin..."

"Thanks, anyway." Harry replied lowly and she smiled "He betrayed all who trusted him."

"It was no big loss." she replied.

"What about all the snogging and the sex through the link?" Harry asked and she shrugged.

"I wanted it. I wanted you and ... it happened. My only regret was not being physical as well. Like you said, this snog was much better than anything we did before."

"Yes..." he whispered, looking at her "What now, Voldemort?" he asked.

"Now you know the truth about me and what I want from you." she replied "You have my word I have nothing against you and all the reasons the other me had to kill you were stupid. I will not raise my wand against you unless you rise it first and you know I don't want to do that. You know I want you as my partner and I always get what I want."

Harry only looked at her, clearly in thought.

"And with you being the secret keeper, there's no chance this story will reach anyone else?" he asked and she nodded.

"Absolutely none." she replied.

"And the other you? You absorbed her soul and magic. Does that mean you're her now?"

"I have her memories and power but her personality was weak and was suppressed."

"Then are you the woman who tried to kill me when I was one?" Harry asked.

"I guess that partially would be a good answer but like I said, I..."

"You ruined everything." he told her and she rose an eyebrow at the interruption "You ruined my plans, you ruined my masks and you ruined part of my vengeance..." he sighed, crossing his arms and looking at the lake "I should hate you for all you did against me, and I'm angry at you but I won't raise my wand against you, unless you do it first." the surprise quickly became a huge smile in her lips "I miss the dreams, you know?" he asked her and her smile grew.

"Lower your barriers and we can be together every night in our minds... and even in the real world." she told him huskily and they both felt the desire growing.

"I'll think about that." he replied as he felt her hugging him from behind.

"What now?" she asked and he shrugged. None spoke for several moments.

"I want power. I have my ambitions to do several things that require a lot of power and I won't give up." Harry told her and she nodded.

"Shouldn't you be in Slytherin, then?" she joked.

"That was the hat's first choice but I decided that for my self-preservation, I needed to be away from the snake pit. That and I would certainly need to prove my points against them and that wouldn't do with the weak and scared boy image I was trying to pass. Besides, Dumbledore's minions had made sure I knew Slytherin was the house of the evil witches and wizards, especially the one who killed my family..."

"Wha-What?" she mumbled in astonishment, her eyes widening "I never saw that one memory."

"My most relevant memories are hidden deeper than the ones you saw." Harry replied with an amused chuckle. She overcame her shock and looked at his more relaxed form "Do you promise you won't try to kill me nor send anyone against me, unless I do it first?"

"I told you, didn't I?" she asked "But yes, I promise."

"Good."

"Do you?"

"You're not the woman who killed my parents or tried to kill me." Harry replied and she rose an eyebrow "I have no reason or desire to kill you so yes, I promise."

"Good." she replied with a smile, remembering to check the time. With a quick movement of her wand, she noticed they had little time until classes began "We should go to breakfast."

"I'm not really hungry."

"To bad, I want you to come as well." she replied, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the lake "Besides, I want to see how everyone will react when you enter the hall at my side." Harry rolled his eyes "Dumbledore may have a stroke after last night."

"The old man is tougher than he looks." Harry replied, walking next to her.

"Believe me, I know." she replied, offering him a wink.

The two walked in silence back to the castle but before they entered through the gates, Arabela grabbed his arm and entangled hers with his. He said nothing.

"You'll sit with me." she told him and he rose an eyebrow "That way, we have our fun and we make a statement to everyone. You have my support and no Slytherin will dare oppose you."

"Most would think you'd be better than me." he replied and she snorted.

"As if I would ever enter the tournament." she replied and Harry huffed in distaste and annoyance, making her chuckle "But I have every trust in your abilities."

"You're lucky I like you." he mumbled and she felt the warmth in her chest growing.

"And you're lucky I like you." she replied with a chuckle and a soft peck on his cheek, avoiding another snog fest, not because she didn't want it but because she was afraid of not being able to control herself "Now come on."

The great hall occupants were strangely quiet and the teachers were no exception. The students were quietly whispering about the events of last night, although some Gryffindors clearly wanted to celebrate. Everyone was apprehensive, though, about the power they had seen Harry Potter unleash. It had scared all of them and none ever suspected the Boy-Who-Lived to have such a power hidden. Many didn't understood why he kept it hidden in the first place.

The words of Arabela Gaunt had spread through the house of the snakes like wildfire and while surprised, everyone understood their meaning. They were to support Potter, or else. So the silver and green house stood in silence, eating and watching the other houses, occasionally speaking with their housemates, expressing their own thoughts.

From Ravenclaw, no one knew what to think and many wondered about the possibility of Harry's name coming out of the cup if he didn't put it, as he said. Only Luna Lovegood, the resident loony as they called her, mentioned once something about wrackspurts. She liked Harry Potter because he was nice to her and helped her once or twice but not even she knew what to think.

Hufflepuf was shocked with what they had witnessed but didn't care about the identity champion. As long as he represented the school, he had their support. A shame it hadn't been one of them, especially if Potter was unwilling. That point was talked with some Ravenclaws and many wondered.

From the other schools, Viktor Krum and his schoolmates were stoically calm, hiding their apprehension. Krum knew he was a powerful wizard but he knew he had no chance against what he felt. From the Beauxbatton students, the preoccupation wasn't hidden at all. Their champion tried to look unconcerned but was failing miserably. Proof of that was her veela allure being slightly out of control, influenced by her emotions. Veelas desired strong partners, to protect them and their children but it wasn't desire that left Fleur concerned. It was fear to go against Harry Potter. She heard the stories and never believed them. When she arrived to Britain, she noticed Harry Potter and found him nothing special. A handsome young man, sure, but nothing else. Now, she was terrified of him because of the power she felt and all the anger... veelas were more tuned to emotions and knew how to recognize them better.

Finally, the staff had no idea what to think. Many teachers wondered about Harry Potter. He didn't produce outstanding work, only Acceptable and occasionally Exceeding Expectations grades. How then, did the cup chose him? More, was it true that someone had put his name and not him? Dumbledore had gave them his word he would ward against such a thing... What about his power? Lilly and James Potter were powerful wizards and it had been a disappointment when their son wasn't as gifted as them... then suddenly, the boy unleashes his power, almost as strong as Dumbledore's? If not more?

McGonagall was nervous and slightly irritated with the boy's actions the previous night. She was concerned as well. If Harry was right and someone put his name in the cup... he had never given them reasons to be suspicious of him and he was always a hardworking young man, although not very talented... and suddenly... not only that, he hadn't slept in his dorm.

Snape was sullen, not knowing what to think. He disliked the Potter brat immensely and made sure to let it be known, especially when it became apparent he was nothing like his mother... and suddenly, the boy is nearly as powerful as Dumbledore and the Dark Lady. How? Not only that, he heard the rumours that Arabela Gaunt had pledge her support to Potter... another problem. Arabela Gaunt was a Slytherin worthy of that name and he had no influence on her. She barely respected him as a teacher and head of house... only as a potion's master had she expressed some level of respect for him.

Dumbledore had no idea what to think. For years, the boy had seemed to be weak, malleable and accepting of his 'advice'. Then, suddenly, he snapped, showed power greater than his own and changed completely? Could it be some kind of influence of the dark lady? But that didn't justify the power he wielded... and how had his name come out of the cup? The same cup the boy destroyed in his anger? How was he to regain control of him, guide him into the light where he should be?

His musings ended as the great hall doors opened, allowing the entrance of the object of his concerns. Much to his surprise (and everyone else's) Harry Potter entered the great hall with Arabela Gaunt in his arm. She seemed amused and Harry seemed annoyed but allowed her to guide him to the Slytherin table, much to everyone's surprise. The whispers started immediately.

"Mr. Potter, where have you been and why haven't you slept at Gryffindor tower?" McGonagall demanded and Arabela looked to Harry, curious.

"I was inside school grounds, so it's none of your business where I have been and I didn't sleep at the tower because I didn't want to be bothered by questions and celebrations for something I don't care about." he replied coldly and everyone gasped. Harry Potter had never spoken like that to anyone. He was generally polite and submissive to teachers. McGonagall gaped and was unable to form words, not recognizing the young man before her.

Arabela hid her laughter and guided him to her table.

"Mr. Potter, why are you sitting at the Slytherin table?" asked Sprout out of curiosity. Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Because this annoying witch at my side is making me. Is it against the rules?" he asked and everyone widened their eyes. Arabela rolled her eyes and elbowed him softly, not hiding a grin.

"No, not at all..." Flitwick replied, baffled "Any reason why?"

"I decided to offer my support to MY champion." Arabela replied with a grin and no one noticed the inflection she used at the second my "I had to convince him to accept his role first, of course, despite him being an unwilling champion."

"I didn't accept anything." he replied with a scowl.

"Yes, you did." Arabela replied amused and everyone was baffled at their interaction. Harry only snorted, sitting next to Arabela after glaring at the nearest Slytherins, who were looking at him "Since the staff doesn't seem to care about the moral of our champion or how his choosing seem to have happened in the first place, I took it upon myself to make sure he competes instead of just botching the tasks."

"He's a gryffindor. He wouldn't do that!" someone shouted from the table of the lions.

Harry just snorted, not deigning to answer that. Arabela, however, had no such qualms.

"You keep thinking that, if you want." she replied amused and many wondered what she meant.

"Mr. Potter." Dumbledore called "It pleases me that you decided to take your role of a champion seriously, even if unwillingly." Harry snorted again "Once again, I can not offer you an explanation how your name came out of the cup but I can assure you we will find out how it happened."

"Sure..." he mumbled, serving himself with some toast, ignoring the smug smile 'Arabela' had.

"Since you left last night, the first task shall be on November twenty-fourth but there will be another event in a couple of weeks." Dumbledore added.

"Anything else?" asked Arabela "Any clues for the task?"

"Nothing that can be shared with the champions..." Dumbledore replied and Arabela nearly snorted at the thought that the other headmasters would obey the rules.

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll be fine." she told Harry with a pat on the shoulder and he glared at her.

"This is better be worth it..." he mumbled to himself but she heard him.

"I'm sure we can make it worth it, don't worry darling." she told him in a wishful whisper and he felt a shiver of excitement through his spine. None noticed the surprised looks many gave their interactions.

None could believe it but all knew the same thing:

Something had just changed dramatically in Hogwarts... and no student would be crazy enough to oppose it.


End file.
